Jan 16

JETAA Chicago site posts link to JetWit

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Thanks to JETAA Chicago for including a link to JetWit on its “Resources” page:

http://www.chicago.jetalumni.net/resources/

And a request to other JETAA chapters to include a link to JetWit somewhere on your chapter websites.  (Feel free to use the JetWit mascot image as well.)

Here’s the list of other JETAA chapters that have included a link to JetWit so far:

Also, a reminder that all content on JetWit may be used by JETAA chapters and any other official JET-related organizations (e.g., AJET) on their websites, in their emails & newsletters, etc.  No permission necessary.  Just copy and paste.  (Or link.  Whatever makes your job easiest.)

Special thanks to Sam Lederer (Shizuoka-ken, 2005-07) for gathering the info.  If your chapter has a link to JetWit, e-mail sam [at] jetwit.com and let us know.


Jan 10

WIT Life #149: 成人の日

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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.

Yesterday Japan celebrated 成人の日 (seijin no hi) or Coming of Age Day, and 1.24 million youngsters took part in this celebration (成人式 or seijinshiki).  This was the lowest number of participants ever, and the fourth straight year in which the number of 20-year olds has declined.  This morning’s news interviewed the 1500 or so Chiba youths who were lucky enough to have their ceremony at Disneyland.  They were asked how they felt about becoming adults, and the majority expressed uncertainty regarding their future and being able to find jobs.  This year’s group was born in 1990 when the economic bubble burst, and they have Read More


Jan 6

Foxhound87: New Year’s

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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.

I arrived back from my trip home just in time to celebrate New Year’s in Japan! There is a lot going around New Year’s in Japan. After dinner on December 31st, a friend and I settled in to watch all the magical TV programs. There are two shows, that I’m aware of, that are shown specially on the 31st of December.

Show 1: Kōhaku Uta Gassen (“Red vs White singing contest”)

“Popular singers (and singing groups) split into two teams, women in the red team and men in the white, which then alternate while competing for the audience’s heart throughout the evening. At around 11:30 pm, the final singer (or group) sings, and the audience and a panel of judges are asked to cast their votes to decide which team sang better. The winning team gets a trophy and “the winners’ flag.” The program ends at about 11:45 pm.”
-http://satoh490625.blog50.fc2.com/blog-entry-781.html

This show was really fun to watch. I got to watch all the popular artists in Japan including Arashi and Ikimono Gakari. These two groups are INSANELY popular here. In addition to pop music, some traditional singers are also invited to the contest. One enka singer was dressed like a glamorous baby crane. I looked away from the television for a moment. When I looked back, she was RIDING A GIANT CRANE complete with flapping wings. I wish I had a picture of my reaction. It was priceless. By the way, the white team won. Guy power!

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.

http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/


Jan 5

Foxhound87: I. AM. SANTA.

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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.

On December 14th, I became the embodiment of joy and happiness in the world. I became Santa Claus. I was told weeks before that I would being playing Santa Claus for a local kindergarten. Soon after, my Kyoto Sensei told me that another kindergarten had requested my thespian skills. That’s right, I was in high demand.

The morning of the 14th, my Kyoto Sensei picked me up from school and we traveled together to the first kindergarten. We were greeted by a very nice lady who escorted us into the conference room. She gave me the costume (including eyebrows and beard), then left to let me change. The costume fit fine. It was the beard I was struggling with. It would not stay above my ACTUAL beard. I worried that the kids might see my brown beard beneath the costume…and Christmas would be ruined. I went over my lines for the show one more time, drank some hot tea, and mentally prepared myself for what was about to come…

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.

http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/


Jan 5

Sukiyaki Survey: Can you get a raw egg at Japanese restaurants in the U.S.?

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Will Japanese restaurants in the U.S. give you a raw egg for sukiyaki or gyudon or other purposes?

In my limited experience, they won’t offer it on the menu, I believe due to health code restrictions.  But my understanding is that if you ask for it, they’ll give it to you.

Does anyone else have any perspective or experience with this?  Have you obtained one successfully?  Been denied?

Please share your responses in the comments section of this post.

Yoroshiku!


Dec 30

Job: Junior High School Assistant Language Teacher (J-ALT) Positions

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via JET alum Adrian Heinel (1996-99). Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.

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

—————————————————————————————————————–

Job Position: Junior High School Assistant Language Teacher (J-ALT) Positions

Employment Conditions:

1 Duties and Responsibilities
(1) Assist teaching junior high school foreign language classes
(2) Support in-service English education trainings
(3) Assist with producing English teaching materials/activities
(4) Help with English speech contests
(5) Participate in special events
(6) Support and advise junior high school English teachers
(7) Participate in any other activities as directed and/or requested by the teacher in charge or the principal

2 Eligibility
(1) Be a native speaker of English
(2) Must have at least a 4-year university degree
(3) Be able to attend the interview
(4) Must currently reside in Japan
(5) Applicants with conversational Japanese speaking ability preferred
(6) Applicants with a current valid visa preferred
(7) Applicants with TEFL certification preferred
(8) Applicants with a valid Japanese or international license preferred

3 Remuneration
(1) Salary: ¥320,000 per month (increasing to ¥330,000 after 2 years, ¥340,000 after 5 years of service)
(2) Japanese taxes will be paid by the city
(3) Half of shakai hoken (government social health insurance system) will be paid by the city
(4) No bonuses will be provided
(5) No relocation, transportation, or housing assistance will be provided

4 Working Hours
(1) Monday – Friday, including break time, 35 hours a week.
(2) 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when working at the Board of Education (including a 60 minute break)
(3) 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. when working at schools (including a 45 minute break)

5 Method of Choosing Successful Applicants
(1) Only Successful candidates will be contacted for interviews
(2) Applicants will be screened by an interview that will include both English and Japanese

Apply by email with CV/resume, letter of introduction, photo, scanned teaching certificates, diplomas, transcripts, proof of a valid visa as well as a valid passport, and (if possible) letters of recommendation to: Mrs. Miwa and Ms. Kawazoe at kakegawarecruit@gmail.com by January 25th


Dec 30

Japan Fix: Tampa (Part 2)

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By Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Lily Lam (Kagawa-ken, 2004-09)

If you read the previous Japan Fix:  Tampa post, then you know of some quality JET-recommended places in Tampa to get your Japan Fix on.   It turns out, however, there’s more to tell and Tampa is even Japanese-ier than previously thought.  You just have to know where to look.  (In our case, we were forced to look because the places listed in the previous Japan Fix:  Tampa post happened to be closed this past Monday thanks to the holidays.)

So read on for Japan Fix:  Tampa (Part 2):

Japanese Food

I Ai Sushi (as in, “I love sushi”) is a cozy Japanese restaurant with an izakaya section on their menu tucked away in a shopping mall on 33614 W. Waters Ave. that also features a Marshalls (aka America’s “Ito Yokado”) and an Albertsons.  Perhaps the Japanese-iest touch of all is their business card which, in true Japanese fashion, includes a crude yet cute map of the mall with an arrow pointing to where the restaurant is located. 

I had the good fortune to go with St. Petersburg native, uber-foodie and fellow alum Lily Lam (Kagawa-ken, 2004-09) who heard about the place from a friend whose mother happens to be Japanese.  (Notably, Lily actually lives and works in San Francisco these days.  We only got in touch when she responded for the JET-Sister City List Project and, in the course of e-mailing, we realized we would both be in the Tampa-St. Pete area for Christmas.)

I Ai Sushi is owned by a Japanese couple who hail from Osaka and opened the restaurant about 3 years ago.  Tasteful Japanese art on the walls is accented with a Hello Kitty clock as well as autographed photos of several Japanese ballplayers who have eaten there. 

We started with a bottle of warm sake.  And perhaps the nicest thing about the sake was that rather than present us with a long list of detailed descriptions of sakes from all over Japan, they just brought us some decent sake.  Somehow I found this lack of choice to be reassuringly natsukashii.  (Remember lunch in your junior high schools?)

From the izakaya menu we ordered gyoza (savory and yummy), kinpira gobo (which had a surprising and tasty kick to it), maguro yama kake (mountain potato with tuna sashimi–not commonly found in most U.S. Japanese restaurants) and, from the specials menu that night, shishamo, which are small, batter-fried and very pregnant fish.  According to Lily, this was a common feature of her school lunches.  Somehow I made it all this time without ever being aware of their existence, due most likely to the fact that I’ve spent most of my life avoiding fish.  However, given my vow this year to make efforts to expand my palate, I took a couple bites.  Right in the belly.  And you know, it wasn’t so bad.  Especially with a little lemon on it.  (Lily noted that in her school lunches, there was no fried batter and no lemon.  Just rubbery pregnant fish.)

These, of course, were just the warmup dishes, the mood setters.  Because in the chilly (by Florida standards) 40 degree evening, we quickly discovered that the menu also featured various forms of nabe including sukiyaki, which we both ordered.  They let us cook it right at our table.  The beef was Japanese-thin and nicely marbled.  The veggies were exactly what they were supposed to be.  And the broth had that sweet-salty flavor that brought back memories of my first sukiyaki experience on a cold day in a friend’s unheated home gathered round a kotatsu with school colleagues.

I knew enough to request a couple raw eggs (since American health codes prohibit restaurants from offering raw eggs on their menu).  And we were in business chowing down and exchanging stories of JET days past. 

And for a final Japanese touch, they brought us (un-ordered) a dessert of grapes, hand-whipped cream and choux creme/シュークリームfilled with vanilla ice cream all on a plate.  A very nice finish to the meal.

With our bellies full of washoku and a bit of nihonshu, it was of course time for….

Karaoke

After searching Google Maps and Yelp on our iPhones, it was determined that the best karaoke options would be Korean noreban (i.e., karaoke box)  joints.  Tampa Karaoke was the obvious choice, but one Yelp review mentioned something about gero in one of the rooms.  So first we checked out One Family Korean Restaurant and Karaoke on 7030 West Hillsborough Ave.  It was a bit hard to find at first along the commercial strip, but sure enough there was a Korean market, restaurant and karaoke place all in one warehouse-like looking building.  Unfortunately for us they were all closed.

Tampa Karaoke it would be.  And it was actually not so bad.  Slick, chi-chi, high class and newly renovated are all words I would not use to describe the establishment.  But the young Korean-American guy at the desk was very friendly.  And the price was right at $25 per hour for a room.  It’s also worth noting that this is a BYOB place (like Bar Toto in Korea Town in NYC), which is great if you happen to know about it in advance (which we didn’t).

We asked if there were Japanese songs in the books and were told that indeed there were.  We eventually found them, however they were organized by song title only which made it a bit hard to search.  That inconvenience, however, was mooted by the fact that we could only find 2 or 3 songs that we actually knew.  And we decided to fault that partly to our own limited J-Pop knowledge and partly to Tampa Karaoke’s limited selection.

Getting into specifics, I was able to find “Kampai” (Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi) and “Kimi Ga Iru Dake” (Kome Kome Club).  But no “Ashita Ga Aru” or “Banzai” or any other songs by Ulfuls (aka Japan’s answer to Hootie and the Blowfish).  Lily, meanwhile, found “Sakura” (Kobukuro), a well-known sappy graduation song as well as “Life is a Boat” (Rie Fu).  (Though she regretted not finding “Tegami” by Angela Aki.)  Sore demo, we ended on a good note with that Japanese standard, “Take Me Home Country Road” (Jo-n Den-ba).

We realize there is more Japan to explore in the Tampa-St. Pete’s area.  But it may just have to wait until next Christmas.  However, given that I’m currently “stuck” in Florida due to the Blizzard of 2010 and can’t get a flight back to NYC until Sunday, January 2, I’ve decided to head east in search of more JET-ventures.  So stay tuned for….

Japan Fix:  Del Ray Beach & Miami!

Tell us where JETs should go in your area to get their Japan Fix. E-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.


Dec 27

WIT Life #145: Manga studies

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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.

Coming off of yesterday’s post, I was surprised to find an article about manga and animation in this morning’s New York Times.  It discusses how over the last decade, various programs that have evolved for formally studying these arts are attracting international students.  The courses are offered only in Japanese which presents a bit of a challenge, but dedicated students see them as the key to advancing “their careers in animation, design, computer graphics and the business of promoting them.”  The Japanese animation companies interviewed in the article said Read More


Dec 22

J-DOC: This is how Christmas in Japan is Celebrated

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Christmas in JapanJ-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, English, and Korean language learning options.

Japanese Class listing can be found at: Japanese Classes Dallas OR  Japanese Courses OR Japanese Classes Online

Being that most Japanese are Buddhist and Shinto, Christmas takes on a very different meaning in Japan. The streets are still decorated with Christmas lights and images of Santa Claus. Christmas music still plays incessantly everywhere you go. And, the shops and department stores still have great sales. But unlike in America and other Western countries, Christmas…

Click here to read the full article – Christmas in Japan


Dec 21

Foxhound87: Monkey Mountain

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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.

Last Saturday, I joined some Nara and Kyoto JETs in climbing Arashiyama, or as I call it, Monkey Mountain.

This mountain in Kyoto is famous for playing host to many feral Macaques. The hike up the mountain was pretty easy. There were only a few hazards. Because it was a bit misty, the rock steps and ramps were a little slippery. We cautiously made our way up Arashiyama.

As we climbed, we came across many signs warning us of the dangers of Monkey Mountain:

1. Do not feed the monkeys

2. Do not look the monkeys in the eyes

3. Do not touch the monkeys

Yeah…lots of do not’s…

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.

http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/


Dec 21

JETAA DC Film Festival: How was it?

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On December 3 and December 5, JETAADC held its first ever JETAA DC Film Festival.  And they did it in style at the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute.  Here’s a write-up of the event courtesy of JETAADC.

In an attempt to increase awareness of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and to showcase Japanese or Japan-related films to American audiences, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association of Washington, DC (JETAADC) partnered with the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution to screen two films from December 3-5, Linda Linda Linda and The Harimaya Bridge.

On Friday, December 3, JETAADC showed Linda Linda Linda, a quirky comedy about a band of four girls and their rehearsals leading up to their talent show performance during school festival. Prior to the film, JETAADC Vice President Nick Harling provided some opening remarks, discussing the JET Program, JETAADC, and adding a bit of context to the film.  Approximately  130 people attended the show on December 3, and after the film, about 40 audience members congregated at a local bar to continue discussing the film and Japanese culture.

On Sunday, December 5, JETAADC and the Freer Gallery screened The Harimaya Bridge, written and directed by Aaron Woolfolk, a JET alum from Kochi-ken. The film follows 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 attended the screening, which drew over 200 people from the greater DC metro area, including representatives from local media. After the film, Mr. Woolfolk responded to questions from the audience regarding his inspiration for the film, the process of making the film, and what it was like working in Japan, both as a teacher and a filmmaker. About 50% stayed for the Q & A.

Afterwards, Mr. Woolfolk said, “It was a special honor to have the film shown at the Smithsonian Institution, and I am especially grateful to JETAADC for playing a pivotal role in making that happen. Moreover, spending time with the DC alumni before and after the screening reminded me how very fortunate and proud I am to be a part of the JET community.”

JETAADC President Maurice Maloney added, “JETAADC was honored to have Aaron Woolfolk and The Harimaya Bridge as part of our film series. In two and a half hours at the Freer Gallery, the film, along with Aaron’s discussion, conveyed the JET experience to a broader audience than we could have reached in months.”

Maloney added, “In light of discussed budget cuts to the JET Programme and JET Alumni Associations across the globe, it is more important than ever for JET Alumni Associations to showcase the breadth of their alumni and the positive effects they have on their communities.”

Click “Read More” to see photos from the event, courtesy of JETAADC.

Read More


Dec 17

National AJET’s “Life After JET”: Teaching English in Japan – Lucas Clarkson

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Lucas poses as Honest Abe.

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.

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

Lucas Clarkson spent five years on JET as an ALT at high schools and elementary schools and now teaches at a private school in Yokohama. He is currently a social studies instructor at the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) at Chuo University Yokohama Yamate Girl’s School. Lucas told us a little more about his transition from JET to another teaching position in Japan for this month’s “Life After JET.”

National AJET: Why did you decide to continue teaching in Japan after JET? Was that always your plan?

Lucas Clarkson: I figured that I had so much invested in this country in terms of time spent, friendships made, and language (presumably) acquired, that to leave after JET would be a mistake. I always knew that I wanted to teach in some capacity, and I was lucky enough to find the position I did, when I did.

National AJET: Are there any resources you could recommend to someone looking for a teaching job in Japan?

Lucas: As far as resources go, there are the usual suspects: GaijinPot, Ohayo Sensei and Jobs in Japan. These are all helpful if you know exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for International School positions there are a number of online headhunter-type sites where you pay a nominal fee to post your resume and other information online for prospective schools to see.

National AJET: Can you tell me a little bit about the logistics of staying on after JET – moving, getting a new visa, etc? Where there any difficulties that you didn’t expect?

Lucas: No major difficulties at all really, as long as you have a legitimate employer willing to sponsor you. If you decide to take the independent route however, you’re going to run into a host of difficulties. Just be sure to have (a) Japanese friend(s) on hand to help you with visa paperwork and the like.

Click here for the rest of the interview.


Dec 15

JapanInfo e-Newsletter December 2010

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The December 2010 edition of JapanInfo is now available online:  http://editor.ne16.com/he/vo.aspx?FileID=569cab53-5818-4cc5-93c0-8d69ff4225b9&m=c084f6d45dcb1543a1f92db467644006&MailID=14668522 *(Click here to subscribe to JapanInfo by email.)

2010 Foreign Minister’s Commendation
Seiji Ozawa to Take the Conductor’s Podium at Carnegie Hall
New Yorkers Discover the Charms of Ishikawa
INSIDE THE ARMOR
The Art of Cut Paper in Philadelphia
VISIT JAPAN:  Faster and Further on the Bullet Train
CULTURE CONNECTION:  THE JAPANESE PROGRAM AT HUNTER COLLEGE
From the Ambassador’s Desk

JapanInfo is published by the Consulate General of Japan in New York/Japan Information Center and is a great source of info for Japan-related things going on in New York and the surrounding area.

Click here to subscribe to JapanInfo by email.


Dec 13

Foxhound87: Bōnenkai!

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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.

I recently went to my school’s Bon Enkai to celebrate the end of the fall term! It was amaaaaaaaazing!

A brief preface: The definition of “enkai” is merely “party; banquet” but it is also what greases the wheels of social communication in Japanese culture. The enkai is usually a work party with a lot of drinking.

My school’s enkai was held at a major shrine in the city of Kashihara. Kashihara is the 2nd largest city in Nara, with Nara City being it’s largest.

Given the terrible weather conditions, Storm and I received a ride from S-Sensei to the enkai. After we arrived, we were told to pick a table number out of a box to determine where we would sit for the dinner. I thought I was being funny when I did the ol’ “reach my hand into the mysterious box and pretend like something grabbed it” routine, but apparently my humor doesn’t reach across borders sometimes. Storm and I pulled different table numbers, so we wouldn’t be sitting together. After we pulled our number we were given scratch lottery tickets. We were also told not to scratch them until the enkai starts…

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.

http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/


Dec 9

WIT Life #140: Hibakusha Stories

Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life Comments Off on WIT Life #140: Hibakusha Stories

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.

This week I had the unique opportunity to work as a volunteer interpreter for a project called Hibakusha Stories.  Hibakusha (被爆者) is the official designation for atomic bomb victims, and this is the second time this organization has invited them to come to America to tell about their experiences.  The program involves visits to NYC high schools, where groups of students gather to hear what these amazing survivors have to say.  I had the honor of working with a beautiful woman from Hiroshima, 72-year old Toshiko Tanaka, who was generous enough to share her story.

Toshiko was almost 7 when the bomb was dropped and managed to make her way home.  Her own mother didn’t recognize her, and she was in a coma for a week but somehow miraculously survived.  Besides burns throughout her body, she experienced Read More


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