Japan Group Looking to Ease Immigration Policy
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Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law focusing on international trade, business, and tax. 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.
Though still clearly in the concept stage, last week saw a report by a Japanese group of politicians, business leaders, and academics looking to ease immigration policy and bring in more foreigners. Combined with the efforts to send Japanese teachers to the U.S. to enhance their English, this marks a significant change in stance for Japan, assuming all of these great ideas turn into action.
Links to the source articles can be found here.
JETAA Northern California Newsletter needs articles
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Via JETAA Northern California:
The Fall issue of Pacific Bridge, JETAANC’s quarterly newsletter, is now in production and we NEED YOUR HELP!
There’s a list of short articles that still need to be written and edited. E-mail communications@jetaanc.org if you could potentially help out.
The issues’ theme is “Japan in NorCal and Nevada,” so suggestions for articles related to Japan in our neighborhood are also welcome.
You don’t have to be Hemingway and you will get a byline–so turn your creative side loose and add a line to your resume!
Thanks in advance!
Tom Baker wrties about a slew of movies, manga and a video game
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. As another example of JET ROI, he is one of at least four former JETs to have been on the newspaper’s staff in recent years. He usually writes for DYWeekend, the arts and leisure section. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
His articles in the past two months include interviews with movie director Breck Eisner and video game producer Rich Rosado, plus a slew of reviews. Click on the titles in these thumbnail summaries to find the articles:
In 1973, legendary horror director George Romero make a low-budget movie called “The Crazies,” in which the accidental release of a biological weapon turns many of the people of a small town into homicidal maniacs. Present-day director Breck Eisner has remade that movie with a much bigger budget, and he discusses the changes he made in the interview.
“Red Dead Redemption” is a video game that lets you shoot a lot of people and then makes you feel guilty about it. Rich Rosado, one of the producers for Rockstar Games (a company better known for its “Grand Theft Auto” series) says that’s intentional in the interview.
“Black Butler” is a manga in which a rich orphan seeks revenge for the death of his parents with the help of a supernatural butler.
“Fairy Tail” is a manga follows the friendships and rivalries among a guild of young, good-looking wizards.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” is a movie that needs no introduction.
“Daybreakers” is a movie in which vampires have taken over the world – and not all of them are happy about it.
“ A Single Man” is a movie in which Colin Firth plays a gay man in America in 1963 who is devastated by the sudden death of his lover.
“Knight and Day” is a movie in which Cameron Diaz becomes a hostage/apprentice to secret agent Tom Cruise.
“The Expendables” is a movie in which Sylvester Stallone leads a merry band of morally mixed-up mercenaries.
Foxhound87: Diwali: A Festivals of Lights Part 2: Just Desserts
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
Since Diwali is the festival of lights, a couple JETs provided some cheap sparklers for us to light following dinner. We had to leave the hotel, so we moved the party to a courtyard in front of the Nara Visitor Center. Most people left to do other things. About 14 of us stuck around for the sparklers. Our merry group of foreigners lit sparklers and danced around. We were having a grand ol’ time until the fuzz showed up. Yes, between conducting traffic with light sabers and trolling the prefecture for a Mr. Dounut, the police took an interest in our festivities. Myself and one other JET tried to sneak away from the group, but were caught and asked to return. Damn. 2 others DID manage to sneak away. As they hobbled into the train station, I yelled (as only a true hypocrite can), “Cowards!” They got away, we didn’t…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
Foxhound87: Diwali: A Festival of Lights Part 1
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
The Nara JET community recently celebrated Diwali, the Indian “Festival of Lights.” We have one JET who was born in India and she wanted to share her culture with Nara ALTs. About 26 of us gathered in a rented kitchen at a hotel adjacent to JR Nara.
Side Story about the Kitchen: The kitchen in this hotel was originally built to provide an environment to improve relations between partners in relationships. Maybe the wife can show her husband how to cook and they can work together to make a meal. Does this sound ridiculous? It is. Nara AJET exploited this information and reserved the kitchen under the guise of improving relations between men and women. We had to make sure guys and girls were both cooking and cleaning just to keep up appearances. This is how we booked the kitchen for freeeeeeeeee.
Everyone was told to bring their own plates, cups, and silverware (unnecessarily, I might add). No one knew that the kitchen was already stocked with EVERYTHING…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
INTERVIEW: Evans Revere on North Korea’s provocations
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John Ellis-Guardiola (Miyagi, 2002-04) is a NYC-based TV news producer who worked for the New York Bureau of Tokyo Broadcasting System and is now at the Reuters CCTV desk. At TBS he covered many topics, especially related to North Korea and the U.N. You can follow his blog at jelgua.wordpress.com.
Thanksgiving 2010 will be another U.S. holiday peppered with news from North Korea. This is a pattern – July 4, 2006, missiles; Memorial Day 2009, nuclear test. With the latest news about cross-border firing on the Korean Peninsula, I asked Evans Revere, a former senior U.S. diplomat, a Senior Director at the Albright Stonebridge Group, and Diplomat-in-Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, for his insight. He kindly provided these answers via email.
Q: How do you interpret the most recent provocations on the Korean Peninsula and the revelation of centrifuges to Dr. Hecker? Some suggest this most recent round of belligerence is related to leadership succession issues. What is your take?
A: My own sense is that the leadership/succession issues have long since been decided. The course that North Korea is on has been set for some time, and the recent Korean Workers’ Party meeting that anointed Kim Jong Un as the next leader when his father passes brought to a conclusion a long, complicated, and secretive process that was set in motion when Kim Jong Il took ill in the summer of 2008. Now that the course has been set, the North Koreans are moving on several fronts. If anything, recent developments in the military and nuclear arenas probably have the blessing of both the older and the younger Kim. There are credible reports that the two visited… Click here to read more.
Thanksgiving in Japan?
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J-DOC, C-DOC, and K-DOC are recurring features written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese, Chinese, and Korean language learning options.
Japanese Class listing can be found at: Japanese Classes
So wait, I know what you’re thinking. There were no colonists coming to the “new world” and mixing with indigenous peoples in Japan? I lived in Japan, and it was very difficult for me to even get a turkey, let alone get together for a turkey dinner with local Japanese?
Although there is no direct holiday that mirrors Thanksgiving in Japan, there is a holiday that’s very similar in terms of how it’s celebrated.
Click here Thanksgiving in Japan for the rest of the article.
WIT Life #137: Tokyo Sky Tree
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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.
Very interesting article in yesterday’s NYT about how efforts are being made to reduce the presence of yakuza in various business transactions. The story focuses on the recent construction project of Tokyo Sky Tree, a communications tower. This is a huge change as traditionally yakuza have been an integral part of this industry, often seeking “protection money” from developers. Developers might also call on the yakuza to give an extra push to people unwilling to give up their land. I liked Jake Adelstein‘s quote calling the yakuza “Goldman Sachs with guns.” Check out the adjoining picture to see a comparison between Tokyo Tower and the “new Tokyo Tower,” what Sky Tree was called before decided on its official name. Other candidates were Tokyo Edo Tower, Mirai (Future) Tree, Yume Miyagura (Dreamwatching Tower), Rising East Tower and Rising Tower. It is due to be completed next year.
Culture Spreaders is a new feature intended to shine a spotlight on JET alums involved in spreading and sharing Japanese culture in their home countries. If you know of a good JET alum for a future post, just e-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com tell us why you think that alum is a Culture Spreader. (Self-nominations welcome too.)
Seattle-based Bruce Rutledge (MEF Program Chiba-ken, 1985-87) is the Editor-in-Chief of Ibuki, the “Japanese Inspired Food and Lifestyle Magazine” for the Seattle/Bellevue/Portland area. (www.ibukimagazine.com)
I was in Seattle this past weekend and (thanks to JETAA Pacific Northwest President Sandra Sakai) was able to pick up a copy of the “I Love Kawaii” issue, which featured “6%Dokidoki Brings Happy Anarchy,” “Your Slice of Japan on the Eastside,” a recipe for green tea sweets, a travel article titled “Kanpai in Tokyo” and a sake article titled “Food pairing hints.” The magazine also includes an extensive Japan-related business directory for the area, including restaurants, galleries, grocery stores, etc.
In addition to his work with Ibuki, Bruce is also the founder of Chin Music Press, which has put out a number of Japan-related books and takes pride in book design.
For all his work with Ibuki and Chin Music Press, Bruce is undoubtedly a major JET alum “Culture Spreader.”
Message from JETAA International Chair Shree Kurlekar
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The following is the text of an e-mail sent out to the JETAA chapter representatives listserve by newly elected JETAA International Chair Shree Kurlekar (Shiga-ken, 2005-07). With Shree’s permission, we’re re-posting a slightly edited version here on JetWit for the benefit of the JET alumni community. For more information about JETAA International, you can visit the website at http://jetalumni.org.
Greetings members of the JET alumni community,
My name is Shree Kurlekar and I was elected Chair of JETAA International at the JETAAI meeting October 1-3 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Here’s a list of what will be covered below:
1. Introduction to me and the new JETAAI Board
2. The Future of JET and JETAA
3. 2010-11 Action Plan for Country Representatives
*******************
JET ROI: Japan Times readers respond to Debito Arudou’s “Don’t Blame JET for Japan’s Poor English”
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Back in September the Japan Times ran a column by Debito Arudou titled “Don’t Blame JET for Japan’s Poor English.” The article defended JET against criticism of non-improving English test scores. But it also waded into some generalizations that prompted some thoughtful responses. (Thanks to CLAIR-NY’s Matt Gillam for the heads up.)
Click here to see all of the responses.
The final word on JET, for now
Arudou misses the mark
Debito Arudou’s recent article on the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme (Just Be Cause, Sept. 7) and many of the responses which followed (Have Your Say, Oct. 12):
I do agree that there are some systemic challenges educators must attempt to overcome in order to provide these kids with the English education they deserve. But Mr. Arudou’s arguments are so simultaneously inflammatory and reductive that I cannot believe a reputable publication would venture to publish them.
He is right to have concerns about the very real institutionalized handicaps in the Japanese educational system, but his ideas are so ill-articulated (“Group psychosis?” Are you kidding?) and, frankly, ignorant that I fear the real problems (and solutions) become lost in the muck.
The article itself misses the opportunity to shed light on what is actually happening in Japanese schools. Mr. Arudou is right to worry that cutting the program and withdrawing the significant foreign presence in Japan might be counter- productive, but I do not believe that that is because the Japanese are suffering from “eigo psychosis,” whatever that means. The “problems” are institutionalized at this point — a reflection of the greater cultural conflict Japan faces as it strives to look forward while staying rooted in history and tradition.
The push/pull between The Way Things Have Always Been Done and Read More
JET Program mentioned by PM Kan in meeting with President Obama
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According to some recent article in the Japanese press, Prime Minister Naoto Kan mentioned the JET Programme in his meeting with Obama, reaffirming the program’s importance.
This is of course a significant statement about the importance of the JET Program to Japan.
Here are two articles:
- Japan Today (English): http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/kan-obama-discuss-rare-earths-other-clean-energy
- Chunichi Shinbun (Japanese): http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2010111301000669.html
Here are some highlights from the Japan Today article:
Kan also told Obama that he aims to enhance bilateral exchanges between the two countries to include a wide range of people in five years.
The initiatives include sending young Japanese teachers and interns to the United States, as well as implementing such programs as promoting collaboration on education and two-way exchanges among universities in Japan and the United States, the officials said.
Kan also expressed concern about the declining number of Japanese students studying in the United States and voiced his intention to work more on this problem.
He also reaffirmed the importance of existing efforts, including the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, the officials said.
JETAA DC Film Festival – Dec 3 and 5
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Via Mack Maloney, President of JETAA DC:
JETAA DC will be holding a film festival at the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute the weekend of December 3-5.
1. Friday, December 3 @ 7pm is “Linda Linda Linda.”
The film follows four girls as they prepare their band for their final school festival. Accompanied by a great soundtrack, this film is funny, poignant, and will certainly have you longing for your school festival (and a karaoke box).
2. Sunday, December 5 @ 2pm is “The Harimaya Bridge,” written and directed by JET alum Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken) who will be in attendance.
Filmed in Kochi Prefecture, “The Harimaya Bridge” is a drama about an American man who must travel to rural Japan to claim some important items belonging to his late son, from whom he was estranged. While there, he learns several secrets his son left behind. Mr. Woolfolk will be in attendance during the screening and will stay to answer questions about his craft and his experiences. Come see a film the Los Angeles Times calls “a unique, complex, consciousness-raising accomplishment,” and Derek Kester of the San Francisco Examiner labels one of the best films of the year.
Via Dan Dooher (Akita-ken, 2006-10):
After reading your most recent JetWit Diary post, I wanted to share with you something Akita Prefecture has just recently started:
The Prefecture’s International Affairs Division is trying to reconnect Akita JET alumni and study abroad students with the prefecture via a bi-monthly newsletter called, “Akita Global Network.”
In the International Affairs Division’s own words:
“The project hopes to reach people who have left Akita to both maintain connections to Akita and elevate overseas awareness of our prefecture. We are planning to issue “Akita Global Network Newsletter” bi-monthly. Please enjoy it with your friends and family.”
If there are other former JET alums out there from Akita interested in receiving this pdf newsletter, please contact the International Affairs Division at: kokusaika@pref.akita.lg.jp
The newsletter welcomes submissions from alumni as well.
Dan also wondered if any other prefectures are doing something similar. If you are aware of any similar efforts, please email jetwit@jetwit.com. Yoroshiku!
FoxHound87: My New Favorite Place in Japan
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
My new favorite place in Japan is Spa World. Spa World is a gigantic onsen in the middle of Osaka. I went with another Nara JET, Prof. X.
As we entered, we dropped off our shoes in a locker in the lobby. After much discussion, we decided our hunger must be sated. We zipped up to the 6th floor where there is a small cafe by the pool. Did I say pool? I meant LAZY RIVER surrounded by 4 big water slides!!! I ate some gyudon (beef, rice, onion) and Prof. X ate udon (noodles…basically).
The water slides actually cost money in addition to the ticket price of getting into Spa World. We went around the lazy river a few times before heading outside (on the roof) to our first spa. Hanging out in a spa surrounded by the Autumn cold is amazing. It feels fantastic. After the Pool floor, we went down to the 4th Floor, also known as the Asia Floor. The actual spa floors are exclusive to men or women (no coed). Because of this policy, they switch which floors are available every day. There is also a Greece-themed floor and others.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
