************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Do you know an emperor loved Japanese swords?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The twenty-seventh one is on Emperor Gotoba by Paul Martin.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_EmperorGotoba.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japanesesword #oki

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Part-time ESL/English Teacher
Posted by: Japanese Children’s Society
Location: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA
Contract: Part-Time

Below are some jobs sent to us directly from the Japanese Children’s Society. However, the most urgent request is a part-time ESL/English teacher:
Urgently Seeking
Part-time ESL/English teacher <in-person & online> (Japanese Children’s Society, NJ)
———————————————————————————-
The successful applicants will teach English to Japanese students. Must be a native English speaker with a B.A. degree. Applicants with TESOL or K-12 certificates and teaching experience are highly preferred. We offer multiple positions at different locations.

Compensation:
1. Tutoring in-person at our school or online programs : At least $35.00/hour *we pay transportation cost additionally
2. Tutoring at student’s home: At least $50.00/hour  * transportation cost included

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Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

I enjoyed watching the SAG Awards last night and it got me excited for the Oscars, which will take place in exactly one month. Drive My Car is the first Japanese film ever to be nominated for Best Picture in the ceremony’s 94-year history! In addition, Ryusuke Hamaguchi picked up a Directing nomination, as well as one for Adapted Screenplay with his co-writer Takamasa Oe. The film’s fourth nomination in the category of International Feature Film is the one it has the best odds of winning. If the many awards Drive My Car has already picked up at Cannes and other major film festivals are any indication, Hamaguchi and his team will be going home with at least one gold statue.

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JETwit’s JET Alum Movers & Shakers is produced by Ryan Hata (Tottori-ken, 2014-2017), Margie Banin (Kochi-ken, 2005-2007), and Jim Walsh (Fukushima-ken, 2018-2020). Want to be featured next? Submit your information here.

Accomplishment: The Eigo Ganbare Team-Teaching Resource Website

About: I’m a former JET and a direct hired ALT who left Japan in 2020. I established Eigo Ganbare in 2010 to meet the unique challenges of team-teaching and ALTing. My vision is for ALTs to attain a fulfilling experience in Japan.

Public Information:
Website: https://eigoganbare.com

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

The remote Oki islands are a place of exile and Japanese poetry.

Kit Nagamura has written an excellent article on the islands. Please check it out here:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2022/01/23/travel/oki-islands-poetry/

What’s more, we have a free webinar about these intriguing islands. Sign up here.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1216435923996/WN_qJkVd3c-SiekpxF7imGq9Q

Note: If you are viewing from North America: Eastern Standard Time: (Boston, New York, etc.) 21:00 (9 pm) Friday, Feb. 25; Central Standard Time (Chicago, etc.): Friday, Feb. 25, 20:00 (8 pm); Pacific Standard Time (San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc.): Friday, Feb. 25, 18:00 (6 pm). If you are viewing from the UK (London, etc.) Sat. Feb. 26 2:00 (2 am), or Europe (for example, Rome) 3:00 (3 am).

This presentation will be recorded and made available on-demand. If you cannot participate in the live streaming session, sign up to receive a link to view the presentation at your convenience. The link will be sent in early March, a few days after the presentation.   

We have an essay by Dr. Christina Laffin in Japan-Insights.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_OkiMythExilePoetry.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

#japan #japaneseculture #oki

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Executive Director
Posted by: Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Location: San Jose, CA, USA/Hybrid
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Jennifer Hwang (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2012) for passing along the following job opening:

About the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj)

JAMsj showcases a unique collection of permanent and rotating exhibits chronicling more than a century of Japanese American history. JAMsj was founded in 1987 and is dedicated to the collection, preservation and sharing of Japanese American history, culture and arts with an emphasis on the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Of particular importance to JAMsj is capturing and telling the story of the WWII Internment of Japanese Americans.

Executive Director Position Description

The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director are 1) management of the museum including museum operations, 2) supervision of volunteers 3) working with the museum Board of Directors (BOD) to achieve the museum’s fundraising and strategic goals and 4) building relationships with community partners.

Roles and Responsibilities

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Check out this documentary made by journalist (and former JET !) David Caprara! He moved from NYC back to the village in Nara where he taught as a JET from 2012 to 2014 and heard that there was a plane crash there during WWII. He did some research and discovered that the crash took place on the Buddhist holy mountain of Mt. Omine, visible from his backyard. In this documentary, NHK World shows about the journey of uncovering what happened and the quest to meet eyewitnesses in Japan and bereaved family members in the USA 76 years after the war. 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/special/episode/202112120910/

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Are you interested in Storytelling in Tohoku, Japan?

Let me introduce a new article for it by Dr. Flavia Fulco.

Kataribe: Ten years of post-disaster storytelling in Tōhoku, by Flavia Fulco

Please also enjoy her past essay “Kataribe: A keyword to Recovery” on Japan-Insights. 

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_Kataribe.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #tohoku

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: TBD
Posted by: New York Japanese Restaurant Association (non-profit)
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Part-Time

Here’s a job passed along to us with the NY Japanese Restaurant Association:

Reports To: One of the board members who is in charge of administration.

Job Description: (Subject to change) All administrative work for this organization including:

• scheduling and managing monthly board meeting
• contacting/negotiating with NY Hospitality Alliance over some topics
• contacting professionals (lawyers, accountants) by request from board member
• bookkeeping/expense management
• event planning, fundraising, etc.

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About 

We’re very excited to announce our finalized lineup for the Japanese Film Festival Online 2022! Starting next month from February 14-27, 2022 you will be able to watch 16 Japanese films for FREE! For the complete lineup, please visit: https://jff.jpf.go.jp/watch/jffonline2022/film-lineup/ and select your host country to see the full list of films available to you. 

To watch the films, please register and create your free account from here: https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp/signup.html 

While you wait for the film festival to start, we’ve also created a portal where you can read up on the latest Japanese news, and interviews with prominent film directors and industry insiders. Check out the interviews here: https://jff.jpf.go.jp 

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you been to islands of exile?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The twenty-sixth one is on Exile and Poetry on the Oki Islands by Dr. Christina Laffin.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_OkiMythExilePoetry.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #oki

Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

As 2021 draws to a close, everyone is likely experiencing a variety of emotions in regard to the beginning of a new year. An article in the Washington Post surveyed more than 200 readers on the one word they would use to describe the past year. Their answers were as follows: “Relentless. Disappointing. Messy. Clarifying. Growth. Grief. Change. Survival. Fragile. Unexpected. Enlightening. Tumultuous. Transformational. Lonely.”

Japan takes a similar pulse of its nation with the annual determining of the “Kanji of the Year.” The single character selected is supposed to represent how the populace views the closing year, and for 2021 it was deemed to be 金 (kin, or money/gold). The winner beat out 輪 (rin, or circle/wheel) by only 118 votes.

According to the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Association that administers the voting, kin was a fitting choice because the Tokyo summer Olympics were the venue for the Japanese Olympic team’s best results ever (including 27 gold medals). The association also noted that kin begins the word 金字塔 (kinjito, or monumental achievement), pointing to the success of MLB’s American League MVP Shohei Ohtani as well as professional shogi player Sota Fujii, who became the youngest four-crown titleholder in the game’s history.

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************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you known Lafcadio Hearn?

Let me introduce an essay from the Japan-Insights archives.

The twenty-fifth one is on Finding Homes in the Unfamiliar by Clara Kumagai.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_GlimpsesLafcadioHearn.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #lafcadio

About 

JFNY Literary Series invites notable writers in Japanese literature and their translators to discuss their work, speak on the art of translation, and touch upon the current literary scene in Japan. 

This session of JFNY Literary Series features renowned Japanese author Kyoko Nakajima and her translator Ian MacDonald and Ginny Takekomori, moderated by David Peace, Allison Markin Powell from the collective Strong Women, Soft Power and interpreter Bethan Jones also join the session. The English translation of Nakajima’s book Things Remembered and Things Forgotten was published in May, 2021.   

This event is now available to watch on our YouTube channel! 

Watch the event here: https://www.jfny.org/event/jfny-literary-series-kyoko-nakajima-x-ian-macdonald-ginny-takemori/ 

Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend, and that your Thanksgiving was filled with lots of food, fun and family/friends! This is the season of expressing gratitude, and I can’t help but be thankful for this venue where I can share my thoughts. Specifically, I’m grateful that I began my Japanophile journey in high school and that it’s taken me this far.

My work as an interpreter is slowly starting to rebound, and I am deeply appreciative for that. I was tickled to find that there is an interpreter out there who recently received official recognition for his skills, that being none other than the Angels’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

Following Ohtani being deemed the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) this year, Mizuhara received a Most Valuable Interpreter (MVI) award from the Angels. On Twitter, fans wholeheartedly agreed with the team’s sentiment: “The existence of Ippei is indispensable not only for Shohei, but for all of us.”

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