Jul 2

Job: Cultural Affairs Assistant (Houston, TX)

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Via PNWJETAA. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.

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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***

Job Position: Cultural Affairs Assistant (Houston, TX)

Job Details:

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

  • General administrative duties – assist with correspondence, speech writing, scheduling appointments, etc. for the diplomats.
  • Inquiries – Answer general inquiries from the public related to tourism, customs, medication imports, animal quarantine, etc. and research appropriate response.
  • Special events – coordinate all logistical arrangements; includes securing venues, serving as liaison with co-sponsoring organizations, coordinating event publicity and documentation (photos/video, etc.).
  • Receptions – Coordinate receptions hosted by the Consulate; includes preparing guest lists, mailing invitations, collecting R.S.V.P.’s, preparing name tags and serving as event emcee.
  • Public Relations – write press releases for cultural events organized by the Consulate and maintain press contact lists.
  • Speech Contest—work together with Japan-America Societies and the Japanese Teachers Association of Texas to coordinate all aspects of annual speech contest.
  • Maintain video library and cultural items inventory for loan to local educators and organizations.
  • Distribute publications received by the Consulate to local libraries, schools, universities and individuals and maintain respective contact lists.
  • Maintain databases of Japan-related programs, professors, etc. in Texas and Oklahoma.
  • Plan and execute school/university visits.
  • Attend local Japan-related events (i.e. speeches, festivals, youth exchanges, etc.)—take notes/pictures for reports to Tokyo, etc.
  • Work with JET Program Coordinator during busy periods with work overflow (interviews, orientations, send-off, etc).
  • Assist other sections of the Consulate as required
  • Other administrative duties and assisting the diplomats with day-to-day work.

    • Read More


    Jun 29

    JET Publications

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    Check out the latest updates on the JET publications from around the country!

     

     


    Jun 28

    WIT Life #173: Homeless by mandate

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    WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

    Almost four months have passed since the earthquake/tsunami hit Japan, and one might think that after this amount of time things have gotten back to some semblance of normal.  That seems to be the case for the most part in Tokyo, where except for limited electricity usage and the omnipresent uncertainty regarding radation levels, it is back to business as usual.  However, for those who lived in the disaster area, it is a different story.  I recently spoke to a close friend over Skype, who told me about her brother who had lived with his family in Tohoku.       

    They, like many others from the disaster zone, cannot be cleared to return home due to restrictions on entering areas that exceed a certain level of radiation.  Instead, they have spent the last few Read More


    Jun 21

    Volunteer to become a Host Family for Exchange Students from China, Korea or Japan

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    via Carleen Ben (Oita-ken 2006-2008) Carleen currently works as a Program Associate at The Laurasian Institution, a non-profit organization promoting international exchange programs between US – China, Japan, and Korea.

    Volunteer Host Family:

    Remember your time in Japan or as a study abroad student where you were welcomed by super amazing host families?  Do you miss sharing your culture and learning about new ones??

    Single parents, retirees, “empty nesters,” young couples with small children, as well as more traditional two parent families with teenagers/pets, all are currently sharing and enjoying the exchange experience!

    If you are interested in hosting a student or know of someone who is interested, please email us at ayp@laurasian.org

    We are looking for host families in all states throughout the US!

    Students’ arrival date: August 13th 2011

    End of the program: June 2012 (when host school’s term is over)

    Host Families are important members of the U.S. Department of State’s citizen diplomats. If you are interested in being part of this program and the larger picture of supporting public diplomacy, please contact us! Feel free to ask us any questions. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon!

    Yoroshiku oneigaishimasu!

     


    Jun 15

    National AJET’s Life After JET: David Leung

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    National AJET

    shares former JET participants’ experiences – and a little advice – with current JETs in their new monthly interview, Life After JET.  Contact lifeafterjet [at] ajet.net to be featured in future posts.

     

    *************

    David Leung (Nagasaki, 2009-2010) walked us through his decision to leave JET and eventually finding his way to his current position as Graduate Policy Officer for the State Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology back in Australia.

    NAJET: When in the JET-year did you decide not to re-contract?

    David: It was the toughest decision to make, whether or not to recontract. It is usually the worst time of the year for most JETs to carry such a heavy burden, either having just settled in, or in the most serious bouts of wintery homesickness.

    For me, from the very beginning, it was always an open option to stay for as long as I could enjoy the experience and be of use to my local community on Fukue Island. The main reason I was still debating at the 11th hour wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy my work (I loved my schools, my Japanese colleagues and the kids), my social life (I had the closest network of JET teachers, who will remain some of my closest friends for the rest of my life, and was a member of the warmest Taiko Team you could imagine) or the environment (fresh local produce and delicious Goto udon that you must try, the friendliest neighbours, and the most gorgeous tropical island with beaches). It was the fact that I left the love of my life back home in Australia. When it came down to it, choosing to stay would be choosing a life for me, and choosing not to recontract meant choosing a life together with my partner.

    NAJET: What’s important for JETs to do once they decide not to re-contract?

    David: The two toughest things to do is to keep up the energy and try to pack in as much experience as you can in the time left. I found that I subconsciously began to distance myself from all aspects of life, I guess as a defence mechanism against the inevitable pain of leaving a year’s worth of relationships, work and stories.

    Make a list of things that you want to do, either mentally or written down. This list doesn’t just include experiences that you can only do in Japan or your local community, but also making the time to say proper goodbyes with people that have become close to you over the past year(s) you may not see ever again. As time to go draws near, time speeds up; your mind will wander to the future, leaving less time and space for the present – having the list helps you keep focused and in the here and now.

    Make the effort to say goodbye to your school(s) and exchange contact details with those nearest and dearest to you. You never know with whom you will want to stay in touch during a lonely moment after a few months of being back at home.

    Don’t underestimate the amount of luggage you will want to bring home, and be prepared for bulky and impractical (but wonderfully sentimental and treasured) goodbye gifts from people you’d least expect.

    NAJET: How did you get started on your job search when you returned home?

    David: As soon as I decided to return home, I started my job search online via the numerous jobseeker support websites here in Australia. I had plenty of conversation with my partner, my family and my friends, all of whom were splendid sources of support and advice.

    I had a pretty clear idea of where I wanted to be – education policy. Having worked in rural Japan, I saw areas of improvement in local government policy and funding decisions first-hand, yet could do nothing about it at the teaching level.

     Click here for the rest of the interview.


    Jun 13

    WIT Life #171: Radiation fallout (both literal and emotional)

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    WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

    As more information comes out regarding the lack of disclosure as well as intentional cover-up that took place regarding Japan’s nuclear crisis, people are becoming more and more empowered.  This article from Sunday’s New York Times details how citizens have begun protesting, a relatively rare action in Japan.  This longer article from this morning’s NYT discusses how little PM Kan knew about what was actually happening.

    Media reporting on this issue tends to be either sensational or opaque, so I really value the “on the ground” reports I periodically receive from friends in Tokyo.  Here’s an excerpt from a recent mail (long but worth reading) from a close friend describing the continually changing information being provided to them, as well as her thoughts regarding the situation going forward.  It provides a backdrop that illuminates why the normally docile Japanese have been taking to the streets:

    “Here life is slowly returning to “normal,” but still lots of worries about the radiation affecting Tokyo and outlying areas.  There are new setbacks to the nuclear plant situation each day and we wonder Read More


    Jun 2

    Local Japan: Prefecture Tourism Links

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    Here are the results of the “Local Japan Prefecture Tourism Websites Project.”

    Reminder: One of the purposes of the project is to help increase the “Return on JET-vestment” for Japan by helping to promote tourism to Japan, especially to more local and regional areas.  JETwit also intends to use this list so it can hyperlink to prefectures when mentioned in future JETwit posts.  (e.g., “Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94)”)

    How you can help further:

    • Build the list: If you’re aware of any additional links that might be helpful–e.g., a blog (especially by JETs) or sites for a region or a city or a town–feel free to post in the comments section or e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit.com and I’ll add them to the appropriate section.
    • Tell readers one reason why someone should visit your (former) region/prefecture/city

    *Note:  Where prefectures didn’t have their own tourism website or English language info guide, I’ve used the Japan National Tourist Organization’s (JNTO) reference page for that prefecture.

    Regional  Tourism Sites:

    Prefecture Tourism Sites

    Aichi

    Akita

    Aomori

    Chiba

    Read More


    Jun 1

    JETs with J.D.s >> A Guide to Picking a Law School

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    Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a recent law graduate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and is packing up his bags for Houston, Texas .  He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market.  For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.

    “You’d think that with the rigors of getting through undergrad, studying for and taking the LSAT, and making sure you perfect your law school applications, picking the law school of your dreams should be the easy part. It isn’t. The advice provided below isn’t the only way to go about picking your law school, but hopefully it will show you where your priorities should be.”

    The post, in full, is available here.


    Jun 1

    Earthquake Recovery News 05.31.11

    Earthquake Tsunami, Return on JET-vestment, Uncategorized, Volunteer Comments Off on Earthquake Recovery News 05.31.11

    Hello, everyone! My name is Emily Duncan (Hyogo-ken, 2005-2008). Currently I live in Atlanta, Georgia and I oversee the Facebook discussion group “Japan Earthquake Disaster Relief Idea Exchange.”

    Originally my friend Mellissa Takeuchi (also a former Hyogo-ken ALT) and I established this group to discuss ideas which could help Japan in the aftermath of the March 11th earthquake. In the beginning this was fairly helpful, but as time went on it became increasingly obvious that the recovery story in Japan would not stay on the front pages of newspapers and websites so I decided to share news stories that I thought would be of interest to our discussion group. My hope is that these stories will inspire other people to get involved.

    Originally I was at a loss as to how I would start this series of posts for JETwit. But as yesterday was Memorial Day I thought it would be best to acknowledge the hard work of the American military during Operation Tomodachi. All branches of the American military – Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines worked together to help the region affected by the earthquake and tsunami. (See more here with a nice slideshow here).

    I was really proud of the initial response and would love to have one of those patches!


    May 31

    WIT Life #169: Happy Doll Fundraiser

    Events, Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #169: Happy Doll Fundraiser
    WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations. 

    Hisashiburi hello!  I am down south with an IVLP group, enjoying interpreting the Texas twang.   Previously I mentioned my friend Nozomi Terao, head of the NPO Happy Doll, and I would like to share an event her organization is hosting twice next month.  Please see below for bilingual details; it will be watching a movie (with Japanese subtitles) while enjoying Korean food and contributing to her wonderful non-profit work! 

    HappyDoll  FUNDRAISER:  Movie x Meal  (watch a movie, eat korean, connect children) Read More

    May 30

    JET Prefecture Round-Up 05.30.11

    Cultural Outreach, Earthquake Tsunami, Events, Fundraising, Japan Local, JET Prefecture Round-up, Uncategorized Comments Off on JET Prefecture Round-Up 05.30.11

    **************

    Emily Lemmon, (Hyogo-ken, Shiso-shi, 2009-present), PSG volunteer, organizer of Hyogo-ken’s PEPY Ride, student of Shorinji Kempo, and editor of the Hyogo Times, gives a little taste of what JETs are doing around Japan.  To submit items for future JET Prefecture Round-up posts, e-mail Emily at jetinfogather [at] gmail.com.

    Events by Region

    Hokkaido

     

    Tohoku Region

    Aomori

    • On Saturday, June 5th, Aomori AJET will be holding a double-parter event, a gala dinner and a club event, in Morioka City. These  events are being held to bring together JETs from all over Tohoku, and raise money for Earthquake Relief (Japan Red Cross).
    • There will be an International Lunch at the Aomori City Chuo Shimin Center on Saturday, June 18th. On the menu is Thai curry! At the same time, Aomori Prefecture’s branch of UNESCO will be presenting sessions on Japanese culture, and providing free tea ceremony sessions for those who would like to try it.

    Akita

    Iwate

    • JETs are invited to attend a tour of Nataya-cho, led by volunteer guides, in Morioka on June 12th.

     

    Kansai Region

    Nara

    • The International Arts Festival, featuring performances in a wide range of disciplines, will be put on by the JETs of Nara prefecture on June 19th.
    • Nara’s farewell to leaving JETs, the Bye Bye Bash,complete with awards, will be held at the Yagi Kintetsu Beer Garden on June 17th.

    Hyogo

     

    Chugoku Region

    Tottori

    • Tottori’s Got Talent, in which participants compete to win money for charities of their choice, will be held in Tottori city on June 11th.

     

    Shikoku Region

    Ehime

    • “There is Hope Through Music” for Tohoku – On July 9th, Ehime JET Dan will gather fellow JETs to the Asakura Kominkan in Imabari to record videos with the fireman brass band. The videos will be combined with videos from the Kurosawa Piano Music Foundation of California and broadcast both online and to the victims in refugee camps in Japan.
    • Eight JETs will assist with the Imabari Higashi Secondary School English Camp June 11th and 12th.
    • Ehime JET Melanie is planning a fundraising festival event, in conjunction with Imabari City International Exchange Association (ICIEA), to raise funds for Tohoku and Kanto region disaster relief. The event will take place on Sunday, July 24, at Saisai Kiteya in Imabari.

    Kochi

    • Ladies Day Spa – ladies of Kochi gather for pampering on June 4th.
    • Kochi Surf Camp will be at Irino Beach July 16th – 18th.
    • JETs Sam and Douglas are now teaching weekly self-defense classes in Kochi.

     

    Kyushu Region

    Oita

    • A team of Oita JETs will be playing in the Mud Volleyball tournament in Nakatsu City on June 5th.
    • JETs and non-JETs will mingle and show their talents at the Rotary Dinner and Talent Show in Oita City on June 18th.
    • Oita JETs will assist with rice planting on to Moritas’ Organic Farm in Bungo Ono City on June 18th or 25th.
    • Sayonara Party – Oita JETs say farewell on July 9th in Oita City.
    • Bad weather forced the cancellation of the Oita camping trip on May 29th, so JETs went bowling instead.

    Kumamoto

    Nagasaki

    • ALTernative Nagasaki, the photo art exhibit explores Nagasaki through the eyes of its transient population of ALTs. Opening night is June 11th

    Kagoshima

    • Bound in Japan is an art project promoting multicultural exchange and diversity awareness, presented by a former Kagoshima JET.

     


    May 14

    Hyogo Times and Wide Island View

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    Hot off the press!  Hyogo Times May 2011 issue is available for download at the website (left-hand side).

    Wide Island View, the JET publication of Hiroshima-ken has also been recently updated.


    May 13

    JET Prefecture Round-Up 05.13.11

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    Emily Lemmon, (Hyogo-ken, Shiso-shi, 2009-present), PSG volunteer, organizer of Hyogo-ken’s PEPY Ride, student of Shorinji Kempo, and editor of the Hyogo Times, gives a little taste of what JETs are doing around Japan.  To submit items for future JET Prefecture Round-up posts, e-mail Emily at jetinfogather [at] gmail.com.

     

    Events by Region

    Tohoku Region

    Akita

    • volunteerAKITA has been very active, starting with a one-day trip on April 24th, then spending Golden Week with the Fruit Tree Project, and continuing volunteer work May 14th – 15th in Kesennuma.
    • The 7th annual Akita International Sumo Basho will take place on June 5th at the Akita Budokan in Akita City; funds will support Tohoku.

    Iwate

    • Two free yoga classes were held on April 28th and 29th, donations taken to benefit Tohoku.

     

    Kansai Region

    Hyogo

     

    Shikoku Region

    Ehime

    • Ehime JET Ian is making an appearance in Matsuyama’s free performance of traditional Japanese theater songs, dances, and instruments in Dogo on May 15th.
    • Ehime JETs cycle the Shiminami Kaido to raise funds for tsunami and earthquake victims on May 21st!
    • CIR Chang Hemi (from Korea) has put together an introductory course in Taekwondo on May 21st in Matsuyama.
    • JETs enjoyed the Caribbean SOCA Bashment party on Saturday April 23, 2011 at Rondo’s in Matsuyama.

    Kochi

    • JETs Sam and Douglas are now teaching weekly self-defense classes in Kochi.
    • CIR Steven will be leading the English interpretation of “The Road to Modern Western-style Painting in Japan” gallery guided tour on May 15th.
    • JET Kavita will host a Bad Movie Night on May 21st, supporting Can Up for Japan.
    • Kochi JETs are forming a group to attend the Beer Festival on June 3rd at the Nahari Hotel.
    • Kochi’s JET farewell party will be held on June 17th.
    • The Tosa-ben Genki Musical was performed by Kochi ALTs in the local dialect on April 16th, 17th, 23rd, and 24th in different places around the prefecture.
    • Kochi JET Mia held an art show, What is a reason you get up in the morning?, from April 22nd to May 8th in Kochi City.
    • 明日があるさ (Ashita ga aru sa)   Party with a Purpose! was held on April 23rd, featuring live music, painting, and auctions, all to benefit Tohoku.

    Tokushima

    • The sixth annual Tokushima Touch Rugby Tournament approaches, May 28th – 29th!

     

    Kyushu Region

    Kumamoto

    • Kumamoto JETs have been invited to attend a traditional Japanese wedding at Kikuchi Shrine on May 14th.

    Kagoshima

     

    Multi-Regional

    • ALT Soccer Tournament – West Japan Tournament to be held in Awaji, May 22-23rd. East Japan Tournament to be held June 4th-5th.

    May 11

    WIT Life #168: Sake Guy John Gauntner

    Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #168: Sake Guy John Gauntner

    WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

    Last night I had the chance to brush up on my sake skills at the sold out sake tasting event Back to Basics held at Japan Society.  It was led by former JET John Gauntner, known as the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert.   He currently lives in Kamakura, and is well known among sake brewers and others within the industry as the window to making sake popular outside of Japan.  His presentation gave a comprehensive overview of sake in less than an hour, presenting the audience with the essentials in easy to remember sound bites.  His enthusiastic employment of the phrase “Absolutely!” in punctuating the rhetorical questions that he posed to himself had a particularly great impact.

    We learned that translating sake as “rice wine” is a misnomer, as it is brewed in a way more similar to beer.  Gauntner discussed how sake is one of the few products in the world that is Read More


    May 9

    WIT Life #167: Japan and War as Seen Through the Lens of Film

    Art, Events, Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #167: Japan and War as Seen Through the Lens of Film

    WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

    Recently I had the chance to see two films from 2010 that examine the issue of Japan and war.  One was Anpo: Art x War which was screened at Columbia University last week, and the other is Caterpillar currently being shown at the IFC Center through this Thursday.  The former is a documentary directed and produced by Linda Hoaglund, and the latter is a film made by the director Koji Wakamatsu of United Red Army fame (shown at Japan Society a few years ago and coming to IFC later this month).

    Anpo uses a mixture of paintings, photos, anime, films and music by Japanese artists to Read More


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