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JET Return on Investment (ROI) is a new category on JetWit intended to highlight the various economic and diplomatic benefits to Japan resulting from its investment in the JET Program. This first post by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) lays out the context and background regarding the serious challenges now faced by the JET Program and JET Alumni Association in connection with current economic problems and political shifts in Japan. Email jetwit@jetwit.com with ideas or submissions for additional JET ROI posts.
“JET Program on the Chopping Block”
Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94), Executive Director for the Japan Center for International Exchange
Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) has served as the Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) (www.jcie.or.jp) in New York since 2002, the US affiliate of one of the leading nongovernmental institutions in the field of international affairs in Japan. JCIE brings together key figures from around the world for programs of exchange, research, and dialogue designed to build international cooperation on pressing regional and global challenges. Before joining JCIE in 2001, Jim conducted research with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and taught English in rural Japanese middle schools as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. He received a BA from the University of Notre Dame, conducted graduate research at Ehime University in Japan, and has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Mr. Gannon is also a fellow with the US-Japan Network for the Future, operated by the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Foundation, and his recent publications include “East Asia at a Crossroads” in East Asia at a Crossroads and “Promoting the Study of the United States in Japan” in Philanthropy and Reconciliation: Rebuilding Postwar US-Japan Relations.
As part of Japan’s efforts to grapple with its massive public debt, the JET Program may be cut. Soon after coming into power, the new DPJ government launched a high profile effort to expose and cut wasteful government spending. This has featured jigyo shiwake–budget review panels that were tasked with reviewing government programs and recommending whether they should be continued or cut. (See Stacy Smith’s (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) May 21 WITLife post that explains jigyou shiwake and touches on the threat to the JET Program.)
In May 2010, the JET Program and CLAIR came up for review, and during the course of an hourlong hearing, the 11-member panel criticized the JET scheme, ruling unanimously that a comprehensive examination should be undertaken to see if it should be pared back or eliminated altogether.When the jigyo shiwake panels were launched in November 2009, the intent was to weed out bloated spending and a wide range of government programs were put under review, from government-affiliated think tanks to host nation support for US military bases. Bureaucrats involved with each program were directed to submit a brief report on program activities and testify before panels consisting of a handful of Diet members and roughly a dozen private citizens from different walks of life. The defenders of each program were given five minutes to explain why the program is worthwhile, the finance ministry then laid out the rationale for cutting it, and then the panel held a 40 minute debate before issuing a recommendation whether the program should live or die.
Diet member Renho
This extraordinary spectacle made for great theater, becoming wildly popular with voters disenchanted with a lack of government transparency and critical of recurring bureaucratic scandals. In November 2009, the first round of jigyo shiwake panels dominated the newspapers’ front pages and the hearings were streamed live by various online news sites. The process even gave rise to a new set of stars, most notably Renho, a 42 year-old Taiwanese-Japanese announcer turned Diet member who relentlessly attacked the bureaucrats who appeared before the panels.
Despite this initial success, a backlash eventually began to brew against the jigyo shiwake panels, with detractors labeling them as mindless populism, arguing that panel members without any special expertise were unqualified to evaluate the programs and ridiculing the attempt to pass judgment on complex, long-standing projects with such a cursory review. In one noteworthy development, a group of Japanese Nobel laureates publicly rebuked the Hatoyama Goverment for jigyo shiwake recommendations to gut government funding for basic scientific research. Renho herself met with ridicule for arguing in one budget hearing, “What’s wrong with being the world’s number two?”
On May 21, a diverse set of programs including the JET Program were lumped together in one hourlong session and, during the course of the proceedings, the JET Program was criticized as being ineffective in raising the level of Japan’s English education. One of the more publicized comments called for the elimination of the Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) portion of JET. The general sense was that the JET Program was being evaluated as an educational program with the exchange component being given short shrift, since its impact is difficult to quantify and assess. (Click here for the ruling on the JET Program in Japanese in PDF format.)
A few Japanese intellectual and foreign policy leaders have begun to push back against the attacks on the JET Program, noting how important it is in terms of public diplomacy and in Japan’s engagement with a range of countries. In its June meeting in Washington, D.C., the US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Exchange (CULCON), a joint US-Japan “wisemen’s commission” scathingly criticized the shortsightedness of any move to cut the JET Program, issuing a statement that
“CULCON strongly endorses the JET Program, especially against the background of negative assessment expressed by some panelists of the screening process.”
For its part, the US State Department also seems to be taking the position that the JET Program makes valuable contributions to the long-term underpinnings of US-Japan relations and cutting it will be harmful. Meanwhile, a handful of articles have also started to appear in the Japanese press defending the JET Program, although there have been only limited contributions to the debate so far by current and former JET participants.
The number of JET participants has already been cut back by almost 30 percent from the peak in 2002, but this is the most direct threat to its survival that the program has faced in its 23-year history. The pattern that has emerged with the previous round of jigyo shiwake has been that programs receiving this type of verdict will be scaled back significantly, absent any public outcry or political maneuvering by important figures.
It appears that the next few months will be decisive in whether and how the JET Program continues.
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Additional reading on this topic:
- “The JET Program is a Successful Example of US-Japan Exchange” – Sankei Shimbun, June 26, 2010 – http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/america/100626/amr1006260751000-n1.htm (in Japanese)
- “Second round of state spending reviews begins” – Japan Times, April 24, 2010 – http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100424a3.html
- “Japanese scientists rally against government cuts: Packed meeting hears a chorus of lament from Nobelists” – Nature News, November 26, 2009 – http://www.nature.com/news/2009/091126/full/news.2009.1108.html
- Ruling on JET (PDF) (In Japanese) – http://www.cao.go.jp/sasshin/data/shiwake/result/B-36.pdf (Feel free to provide English translation of relevant parts in the comments section of this JetWit post.)
Have a good idea for a JET ROI post? Please contact Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) at jetwit@jetwit.com.
Job: Japanese-speaking Counselor (Connecticut)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Nicole Bongiorno (JETAANY)
An overnight summer ballet program, located on a campus of a prestigious private school in Connecticut, is looking for a mature, responsible, outgoing individual to be a counselor and to be responsible for a group of 10 non-English speaking Japanese students age 12-14. Counselors will be responsible for supervising the children, translating English/Japanese, as well as planning and running some extracurricular activities (all ballet instruction will be done by professional staff).
Dates: July 17 – August 7, 2010
Pay: $300 per week for the duration of the job +housing and meals
Required Qualifications:
Fluency in Japanese and English,
Experience in organizing and implementing fun and safe activities
Strong organizational skills
Sensitivity to/appreciation of other cultures and foreign students
For a complete job listing and information on application procedures, click here.
Job: Project Leader and Technician (Northeast U.S.)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Helen Godfrey (JET Participant, 1996-1998)
Job Summary: Formulate, blend and test lubricant additives in greases and oils used in automotive and industrial applications. Make technical presentations and attend meetings of industry organizations, particularly targeting the Asia Pacific region.
Job Responsibilities:
• Act as Project Leader for new product development.
• Evaluate commercial and experimental lubricant additives by Standard ASTM test methods.
• Develop additive formulations that meet customers’ specific requirements.
• Write reports in English and Japanese.
• Give technical presentations in English and Japanese.
• Attend industry organization meetings.
• Conduct all work in accordance with Petroleum Applications Laboratory ISO-9001 quality system procedures.
• Calibrate laboratory equipment and instruments in accordance with ISO-9001 protocol and procedures, including all equipment and instruments that require off-site calibration.
Job Qualifications:
• B.S. degree in a scientific discipline, preferably chemistry.
• 1-2 years experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in lubricant formulating and lubricant testing a plus.
• Fluent in technical and conversational Japanese and English.
• Up to 20% travel required.
For more information, email Helen Godfrey (hgodfrey@Central.UH.EDU).
WIT Life #105: Samurai in New York
Anecdote Article, Events, Japan Trends, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life Comments Off on WIT Life #105: Samurai in New York
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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.
Last night I had the chance to preview the Samurai in New York: The First Japanese Delegation, 1860 exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. There was a reception to celebrate its opening hosted by Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya and those affiliated with the museum. In his opening remarks, he detailed how descendants of members of the original 70-plus person delegation were in attendance. One was a woman who currently makes her home in New York, and another was a Buddhist monk who had traveled from Japan. It was a wonderful tribute to the original delegation to have these representatives present.
The exhibit itself, though limited in scope, contains some interesting artifacts. Evidently they had been Read More
WIT Life #104: Of sales tax and soccer
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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.
A hot issue in Japan right now is PM Naoto Kan’s proposal of doubling the current sales tax of 5% (Coverage from earlier this week in the WSJ can be found here). According to projections, an increase of this amount could lead to an additional 165,000 yen ($1829) from each household annually. Kan has emphasized that he anticipates this being implemented over the next two to three years, but his willingness to even touch this kind of financial reform differs greatly from his DPJ predecessor Yukio Hatoyama (who had promised not to alter the sales tax for four years).
Response to this announcement have been mixed. Surprisingly, a survey carried out by Yomiuri Shimbun found that Read More
Job: Administrative Assistant, Invesco (Dallas)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Michelle Tillis, Invesco
GENERAL PURPOSE OF POSITION
This position requires one to work in a team position to support the Managing Director and investment team of the Real Estate Securities department and provide translation as needed for various documents and presentations.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
*Serve as an administrative teammate with other administrative personnel.
*Coordinate meeting schedules for the investment team.
*Coordinate travel arrangements to include Asia, Australia, Europe, etc.
*Provide basic research support such as running routine reports and performing certain data entry tasks
*Prepare agenda package for Monthly Real Estate Securities Management Committee Meetings
*General administrative duties that include drafting correspondence, mail distribution, faxing, copying, filing, ordering of office supplies, etc.
*Back-up duties that include answering and screening Managing Director’s calls, maintaining department calendar, scheduling meetings, coordinating U.S. travel, catering, etc.
*Upkeep of various databases
*General file maintenance
*Coordinate with product management and graphics departments for various marketing materials required for meetings, conferences, etc.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
*MUST HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH SCHEDULING INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND TRAVEL.
*BILINGUAL SKILLS (JAPANESE/ENGLISH OR PORTUGUESE/ENGLISH) PREFERRED.
*Minimum 3 years secretarial/administrative support experience.
*Must have experience supporting multiple high level executives.
SKILLS:
-Fluent in English and it is highly desirable to have foreign language skills in Japanese or Portuguese ‘ both written and verbal
-Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office 2003: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
-Proven organizational skills.
-Proven communication skills, both verbal and written.
-Proven client service/communication skills.
-Ability to prioritize work.
-Ability to work with others at all levels.
-Ability to meet tight deadlines.
Please send resume and cover letter to : michelle.tillis@invesco.com
WIT Life #103: The Cove
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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.
An article in today’s Times discusses the reaction of right wingers in Japan to The Cove, a documentary about dolphin hunting in a place called Taiji. This group, 右翼 or uyoku, are said to number about 10,000 throughout the country and have been responsible for various acts of violence such as torching the houses of politicians whose views they don’t agree with (i.e. regarding visits to Yasukuni Shrine). This time they are protesting outside theaters attempting to show this film, insisting that it will “poison Japan’s soul.” However, there is significant interest in this doc as evidenced by the turnout of over 700 people for a one-time screening in Tokyo last week, where about 100 had to be turned away due to lack of space.
Quoted in the article is the documentary filmmaker and author Tatsuya Mori, who I Read More
WIT Life #102: Learning Disabilities in Japan
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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.
I was very excited to hear from one of my closest college friends that her husband would be having a business trip in Japan. Not only was I happy for him, a fellow classmate as well, to be able experience Japan, but also because of his line of work. Pictured at right, Jonathan Mooney grew up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia and didn’t learn to read until he was 12. However, he is now an amazing author and public speaker. He has his own non-profit based in California and often travels both domestically and internationally to share his experiences and help children like himself and their families.
Jon has spoken in China before, but this was his first time going to Japan upon the invitation of a professor from Osaka. He will be giving a presentation in Read More
Job: Database Associate, Asia Society (New York)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via the Foundation Center
The Asia Society seeks a Database Associate to provide development database assistance to the entire Asia Society organization. This person will enable the Database Administrator to execute the technical components of the software by providing strategic implementation, training and general daily support to all users in New York and the Centers, while specifically working with the fundraising team to maximize the software’s capability for individual job functions.
For further details and application instructions, visit http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=150500006.
Job: One-shot Presentation, Japan Country Specialist (Peoria, IL)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Ashley Coombs, Aperian Global
Aperian Global is looking for a Japan Country Specialist (CS) to join the Lead Consultant for a cross-cultural training in Peoria, IL on June 18, 2010 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. The CS is expected to give a personal perspective on what it is like to live and work in Japan. The CS will not be required to prepare a presentation, and simply needs to assist the training program with personal perspectives and experiences. Monetary compensation of $100 will be provided for the half day.
This particular program is for an employee of a global construction manufacturing firm and his wife. They are very interested in learning as much as possible about Japanese business culture. Part of the training session will involve a kid’s “thriving” program, for which the CS is asked to share what it was like growing up in Japan with the participants’ children. The CS role is vital to the family’s smooth transition to their new environment.
Aperian Global delivers a blend of consulting, training, and web tool services that aim to develop the capabilities of individuals, teams, and organizations to work effectively across cultures in order to create a sustainable global future. Aperian Global’s services include organizational consulting , one-on-one coaching , teambuilding , and classroom training.
To apply, send your resume to Ashley Coombs at acoombs@aperianglobal.com.
WIT Life #101: Empire State Turns Japanese!
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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.
In a previous post about the recent Japan Day in Central Park, I mentioned the introduction of a samurai procession. 
This was one aspect of celebrating this year’s 150’s anniversary of the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States and its enthusiastic reception in New York City on June 16, 1860. According to a press release from the Japanese Consulate of New York, “the visit by a group of over 70 samurai was one of the greatest spectacles the city had ever seen: an estimated half-a-million New Yorkers jammed the streets to watch the Japanese parade up Broadway and two weeks of grand balls, celebrations, and non-stop press reports welcomed the visitors from across the sea.” The samurai brought with them instruments of ratification for the 日米修好通商条約 (Nichibei shuukou tsuushou jouyaku) or U.S.-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
Another exciting promotional event commemorating this historical occasion is Read More
WIT Life #100: ダーリンは外国人
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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.
Last night I went to see the US premiere of ダーリンは外国人 or My Darling is a Foreigner. This film is based on the manga series with the same title by Saori Oguri. I was introduced to this work by a Japanese friend shortly after it came out in 2002, and I devoured the volumes that were available at the time. It depicted the day to day life of this international couple and the bumps that they encountered along the road of their relationship. They eventually went on to have a child together, and since the first book went on sale this popular series has sold 3 million copies.
Tony is the name of Saori’s husband and he hails from the United States. He is Read More
Job: Online Writer for The U.S.-Japan Council (Washington DC)
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The U.S.-Japan Council (www.usjapancouncil.org) is an educational 501(c)3 non-profit organization that promotes U.S.-Japan relations and is currently seeking a communications associate who can support the Council’s website content editing, online marketing, member communications, program promotions, and design efforts.
As a new non-profit organization, the Council is seeking a candidate who is interested in an exciting opportunity to establish the Council’s communications strategy, establish an online presence, and apply effective push and pull marketing efforts through traditional and new social media.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Develop editorial content for the website, monthly e-Newsletter, press releases and marketing tools. Prepare drafts of marketing materials (e.g., brochures, program announcements, membership information, etc.)
• Contribute ideas for multimedia and interactive content to increase the reach of the Council and to retain engaged audiences.
• Create graphics and layouts, including e-Newsletter templates, website templates, web content, logos, marketing brochures, fliers, event registration pages, and invitations.
• Maintain and update the Council’s website.
• Provide basic software program training to staff, as needed (e.g. – Salesforce.com, Constant Contact). Read More
Job: Butler/Caretaker, Consulate-General of Japan (Seattle)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Consulate-General of Japan is seeking an individual for position of Butler/Caretaker for Large Residence.
The Requirements for this position are:
–Must perform a variety of cleaning, meal serving and light household maintenance duties.
–Must be responsible, neat and polite.
Send resume & cover letter by June 11 to:
Consulate-General of Japan, 601 Union St. #500, Seattle, WA. 98101
Attn. Mr. Yukio Motoe
Email: kanri@cgjapansea. org
Tom Baker reviews two books on the game industry
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/. He usually writes for DYWeekend, the paper’s arts and leisure section. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
Recently he rerviewed two books on the video game business, “Fun Inc” and “Nintendo Magic.” Here’s an excerpt:
Even if you aren’t into video games, you may already be into video games. A major theme of two new books on the subject is that game technology is now so omnipresent that even people who don’t consider themselves gamers are using it.
“Games have long been one of the world’s most important engines for computing innovation–along with, more recently, the mobile phone,” writes British journalist Tom Chatfield in Fun Inc.
“It’s largely thanks to the ever-evolving ambitions of game designers that modern computers have a DVD drive, a graphics card, decent sound capability, a staggering amount of RAM, a large colour monitor, and so on.”
User interface is one area in which game developers are especially driven to improve. People may put up with hard-to-use accounting software because they need it for work, but no one has to play a video game.
“For a long time, we’ve made things that are fundamentally useless,” Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is quoted as saying in Nintendo Magic, by Japanese journalist Osamu Inoue. “People won’t endure inconvenience that they don’t have to endure. They won’t read your instruction manual. If something is hard to understand, it’s entirely the maker’s fault. If they can’t figure out a videogame in five minutes…that’s the end of it.”
Read the rest of the review here.
