A guide to useful iPhone apps in Japan
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A quick word from Gail Meadows, JetWit contributor of the Japan America Society Roundup and co-editor of Hiroshima-ken JET webzine the Wide Island View…
If you’re living in Japan and sporting a slick new iPhone, there are a number of nifty applications available for download to make life a bit easier, or at least a little more fun. From kanji flashcard drills to TV listings to a maps program that helps you find your way around cities with nameless streets, there’s no shortage of potentially useful apps. Hiroshima-ken JET Brody Nixon offers a helpful guide to some of his favorite apps in his story A guide to useful iPhone apps in Japan on the Wide Island View. Check it out, and if we’ve missed one of your favorite apps, feel free to let us know in the comments section. Happy reading!
J-News Mini-Roundup: Japan and Russia Still Deadlocked over Generation-Long Dispute
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature 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 language learning options. Their main service is private one on one Japanese language lessons in the NYC area, where the student chooses where and when to have lessons.
All smiles...but is that a good thing? - Picture from the Asahi
Background: On the conclusion of World War II, Japan was forced to give back a lot of its territory it had received from its imperial reign. However it did manage to hold onto Okinawa, and multiple island chains. The one island chain that was never “given” back to Japan, and remains disputed to this day, are “The Northern Islands”; or the Kurile Islands, according to Russia. Because neither side can concede on who really controls the islands, Russia seeing it as a symbol of their conquest during WWII, a peace treaty has still never been signed between the two countries.
Yesterday President Medvedev and Prime Minister Aso met to discuss this territorial issue. Last October, Medvedev met with Prime Minister Aso and said “this territorial dispute cannot be handed down to the next generation.” This May when Putin came to visit Japan he stated that Prime Minster Aso and Medvedev should explore “every option” this July when they meet in Italy. Despite expectations, the Japanese newspapers reported on the lack of decision this July.
Asahi “The Northern Territories: No New Proposal from Russia…”
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
Jobs: International Education Programs (Chronicle of Higher Ed.)
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Via the Chronicle of Higher Education’s international education programs job listing:
7/6/2009
- Azusa Pacific University (California) : International Director Master of Arts in Transformational Urban Leadership (MATUL) Program
- Ball State University (Indiana) : Director of International Student Services; Rinker Center for International Programs
- Council on International Educational Exchange (Germany) : Resident Director – Berlin, Germany
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Minnesota) : Director of Education Abroad
6/30/2009
- Institute of International Education – D.C. (D.C.) : Program Officer
6/29/2009
- Fairmont Private Schools (California) : International Student Counselor
- Hartwick College (New York) : Senior Associate Director of Admissions – International Recruitment
6/25/2009
- Berry College (Georgia) : Director of Multicultural and International Student Programs
6/23/2009
- West Valley-Mission Community College District (California) : International Student Services Supervisor
JETAA Careers Information Day 2009 (London)
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Via JETAA United Kingdom:
Event: JETAA Careers Information Day 2009
What: Business Meeting
Host: JETAA: London
Start Time: Friday, September 25 at 2:00 pm
End Time: Friday, September 25 at 10:00 pm
Where: HMS President building
Returning to the UK? Already here and looking for work? Thinking about a career change?
The annual JETAA Careers Information Day is here to help past JETs use their experience on JET and in Japan to their advantage. CID can introduce you to some of the employers who are interested in your background – and let you discover what other options are there for you.
In the evening the Japan Local Government Centre will host a drinks reception with everyone in the same venue, looking out over London’s Tower Bridge.
To attend send your name, address and contact details to: cidregistration[at]jetaa[dot]org[dot]uk.
Registration is free and open!!
New JETAA Brazil Country Representative
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JetWit is happy to share that Brazil’s JETAA chapter has a new Country Representative as of July 1st.
Please meet Cristiane Megumi Hayato, who attended the last JETAA International meeting in Paris last September.
Also, a big o-tsukare sama deshita to outgoing Country Rep Cristina Izumi Sagara, who has done a fantastic job on behalf of JETAA Brazil for the past 9 years, also serving as a JETAA International officer for part of her time.
Japan America Society Roundup 7.07.09
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Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows, co-editor of Hiroshima JET webzine the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of various Japan America societies…
Art of Laughter: The Kyogen Theater of Japan — This program co-sponsored by JSNC sounds sure to bring a smile to your face given that “kyogen” means “wild speech” or “comical tales.” This free, interactive program at the Asian Art Museum will be led by Izumi Junko and Miyake Tokuro, who have been pioneers for opening the Kyogen stage to women. They will demonstrate performance techniques and discuss their careers as the first female performers in this male-dominated field.
- Date: Thursday, July 16
- Time: 6:30 p.m.
- Place: Asian Art Museum, Samsung Hall, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco
- For more information: http://www.asianart.org/performances.htm#kyogen_performance
- Mind, Body, Spirit — How does a free massage and Japanese oysters sound? Find them at the next meeting of JASC’s 5:01 Club, where you can challenge your mind with Humana video games, talk to a fitness expert from Bob Roncker’s Running Spot for training advice, and receive spirit-lifting reflexology massage while learning about other ways to relax and rejuvenate your spirit.
- Date: Thursday, July 30
- Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Place: Humana Building, 640 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati
- For more information: http://www.jasgc.org/501club.html
Boat building presentation — JSB invites members to attend a talk and slide presentation by Douglas Brooks, who has apprenticed with four different boat builders in Japan since 1996. He will share his experiences with different crafts drawn from over a dozen trips to Japan. Brooks is a boat builder, writer and researcher who builds traditional wooden boats for museums and private clients. In 2003, he published his first book, The Tub Boats of Sado Island: A Japanese Craftsman’s Methods.
- Date: Wednesday, July 22
- Time: None listed
- Place: The Carpenter’s Boat Shop, 440 Old County Road, Pemaquid, Maine
- For more information: http://www.carpentersboatshop.org/
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
J-News Mini-Roundup: The LDP Political SHOCK: Defeat in Chiba
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature 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 language learning options. Their main service is private one on one Japanese language lessons in the NYC area, where the student chooses where and when to have lessons.
Prime Minister Aso, from the Yomiuri Shinbun
Background: The ruling party of Japan and the party of Prime Minister Aso, the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), is showing signs of cracking. A usual LDP stronghold, Chiba Prefecture, today announced that the recommended candidate from the LDP and Komeito coalition lost a preliminary election for governor. This paves this way for the opposition party, the DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan), to take the governor’s seat.
This election comes in the background of the bigger national snap election, which the Prime Minister could announce at any time. The snap election can be called in the Japanese parliamentary system by the Prime Minister to redistribute power, ideally to his own party. However the signs lately are showing the opposition party gaining, and the Prime Minister losing. The papers this morning each reported something different about the LDP’s losing popularity.
Asahi “We have come from behind. This shows our real strength…”
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
A Night Out with Fukuoka IT
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Professional translator Joel Dechant (CIR Kagoshima-ken, 2001-04) is now guest blogging for Fukuoka Now
In my search for a local freelancer community, a friend of mine introduced me to a group called Fukuoka IT. I’ll be the first to admit that I am no codejammer, but I am interested in web tools and IT as they relate to the field of translation. Not to mention, I am always game for meeting new people, so I got in touch with Mark Cowan, a self-confessed Java lover and the fearless leader of Fukuoka IT.
Mark, a native Canadian and long-time Fukuoka resident, started the Fukuoka IT Google group 2 years ago as a way for foreign IT specialists in the Fukuoka area to get together and share ideas. In the beginning meetings were often comprised of Mark and one or two other brave souls, but he persisted. Membership grew by word of mouth and eventually the group decided to expand its network by inviting Japanese techies into the fray. With mailing list membership now at 50, the Fukuoka IT group saw a record 18 members turn up for June’s meeting held at the Chuo Civic Center. Each month, members set a different topic and conduct presentations or engage in coding competitions. The aim is to share ideas and build professional networks.
Continue reading ‘A Night Out with Fukuoka IT’
JETAA Chapter Beat 7.1.09
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community for another edition of JETAA Chapter Beat.
- 2009 JET Programme Pre-Departure Reception – Friday, July 17th, 6:00 at the Consulate General’s residence. Catch up with old friends and bid the newbies a fond farewell at this year’s reception. Space is limited so make your plans soon.
- Unofficial Pre-Departure Reception – Friday, July 10th, 6:00 at Jun Restaurant. In case you can’t make the official reception, why not join JETAAWA to see off the new crop of JET participants and share your experiences.
- O-Shaberikai – Wednesday, July 1st, 5:30 at the Holy Grail in Civic. Join in and meet Japanese people living in Canberra and other locals interested in Japan.
- Movie Night: Tampopo – Friday, July 31st, 7:00 at Narrabundah. JETAA Canberra will be screening Itami Juzo’s classic film “Tampopo” with pizza and popcorn.
- Tampa Natsu Matsuri – Saturday, July 11th, 9:00 to 11:00. Celebrate the summer Japan-style with Japanese food, games and even a yukata/jinbei clothing contest.
- Tampa Subchapter Tsudoi – Friday, July 3rd, 7:00 at Panera Bread in the Brandon Mall. The Tampa Subchapter will be hosting their monthly Tsudoi, an informal time for anyone interested in Japanese and Japanese culture.
- Chinatown/International District Summer Festival Call for Volunteers – Saturday July 11th and Sunday July 12th this year’s Seattle Chinatown/International Summer Festival will be held and PNWJETAA is looking for volunteers. Help your community, spend the day outside and get a free T-shirt.
- July Meeting – Wednesday, July 1st, 6:30 at the Convention Center Atrium. Join in and become an active voice in the JETAA community.
- July Happy Hour – Friday, July 10th, 6:00 at Wann Izakaya in Belltown. Start the weekend right with good friends and a cold drink.
- Next Book Club Selection: Yakuza Moon – JETAANC’s book club will be discussing Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster’s Daughter by Shoko Tendo at its next meeting(date and time TBA). Start reading now so you can join in on the discussion.
- July San Francisco Nomikai – Thursday, July 2nd, 6:00 at the Jade Bar. Check out this month’s happy hour. New JETs leaving in August are invited to join and ease some of that pre-departured tension.
- July Happy Hour – Wednesday, July 15th, 5:30 in the courtyard of Hotel Monaco/Poste. Relax after a hot day with a cool drink and JETAADC.
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just email Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
J-News Mini-Roundup: Bizarre Robberies Strike Japan
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature 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 language learning options.
Background: One of the biggest culture shocks for most foreigners who have lived in Japan is leaving the safety of the country. People that have lived there will tell stories of how you can forget your wallet in a café for hours, and then return to find both the wallet and the money intact. Guns are also illegal, so living there people feel a higher sense of security both from petty and violent crimes.
However there is crime in Japan, and although sporadic as it may be, most of the crimes I can remember are either quite bizarre or shockingly violent. Some examples are the Akihabara hit and run where a laid off disgruntled worker decided to randomly try to run over 4 or 5 people in Akihabara in the morning. There are also cases of overworked salarymen coming home and killing their whole family.
The newspapers this morning in their headlines all had reported robberies, and interestingly enough each newspaper had reported a different incident.
Asahi “Couple Charged w/ Stealing 2.6 million yen ($26k) from Pachinko…”
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
Japan Info Newsletter – June 2009
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The June 2009 edition of JapanInfo is now available online. 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.
Highlights include:
- 45,000 New Yorkers Flock to JAPAN DAY @ CENTRAL PARK 2009
- Ambassador Nishimiya Visits West Virginia
- It’s Easy to Visit Japan : Visa and Quarantine Checks
- Going Global? JETRO Can Help
- The World Heritage Sites in Japan: Spiritual Heart of Kumano and Ancient Pilgrimage Routes
- From the Ambasador’s Desk
- And plenty of things to do and see on the Events Calendar.
J-News Mini-Roundup: Corporate Japan Comes Under Attack
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature 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 language learning options. Their main service is private one on one Japanese language lessons in the NYC area, where the student chooses where and when to have lessons. They’ve also recently expanded to include the Korean and Chinese languages.
Background: The business news today is full of negative headlines for corporations, such as: the necessity to let people go, the difficulty of being in the red, fear of bankruptcy, sales at record lows, etc. Reading the American news it feels as if America is the country being most affected by the Recession. After all, the credit crisis developed from bad sub prime loans mainly being held by U.S. banks, insurance companies, and other unfortunate entities.
Image from "The Nikkei"
Reading the headlines from Corporate Japan today, however, the dismal economic world seems like a small one. Each newspaper reported a different aspect of Corporate Japan that was getting embattled by the current economic crisis.
Yomiuri “Japan Made 40% Less Cars…”
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
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Miguel Gervais (Saitama-ken, Fukaya City, 2000-03) founded and runs the M.L.C.英会話 (eikaiwa) school in Fukaya City, Saitama-ken which currently teaches approximately 45-50 students. He is originally from Canada and was kind enough to write this article in response to a JetWit request to share his career experience.
Any other JET alums interested in sharing their own career advice, experience and perspectives are encouraged to e-mail your article idea to Steven at jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.
Having a Job is Irresponsible
My friend Jack is a fine, upstanding person and a great teacher. He’s been in Japan for untold years, had a job that he liked well enough and is blessed with a wonderful family. Unfortunately, the college that had hired him for the past 10 years or so suddenly refused to renew his yearly contract. In their magnanimity, they told him this one month before he was due to start the new school year. Obviously, this was much too late to find another job.
Jack is a great teacher. He is a valuable asset… and yet he is now unemployed and in rather desperate straits. But things could have been even worse… he could have been forced to leave Japan, just like untold numbers of other teachers after the NOVA debacle. Luckily, he is on a spousal visa and was spared this final humiliation.
Don’t let this happen to you! Life-time employment has never been in the cards for foreign teachers in Japan. Unless you are Read More
Jobs: International Education Programs (Chronicle of Higher Ed.)
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Via the Chronicle of Higher Education’s international education programs job listing:
6/22/2009
- Ball State University (Indiana) : Director of International Student Recruitment and Admissions, Rinker Center for International Programs
- Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge (Louisiana) : Coordinator 2 (Grants), Office of International Programs
- St. John’s University (N.Y.) (New York) : Associate Director of International Admission (R2758); Office of Admission (Undergraduate)
- Stephen F. Austin State University (Texas) : Director, Office of International Programs
- U.S. Department of State () : Deputy Director of Fulbright Program, Turkey
- University of Maryland University College () : Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
- University of Maryland University College () : Regional Managers
J-News Mini-Roundup: “Talent” Governor, Candidate for Congressman?
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PLEASE CLICK THE DOCTOR for Japanese Lesson Signup
J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature 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 language learning options. Their main service is private one on one Japanese language lessons in the NYC area, where the student chooses where and when to have lessons. They’ve also recently expanded to include the Korean and Chinese languages.
Today’s Article:
Background: One of the most amusing parts of Japanese politics is the willingness for politicians to get involved in comedy shows. Although this might sound familiar in terms of American politicians joining Saturday Night Live, David Letterman, or Obama at Jay Leno, the Japanese air tons of comedy and game shows everyday, most of which do not have the star quality of a light night talk show. It is here where the “Talent” Governor, Hideo Higashikokubaru, appears so much that the average viewer wouldn’t recognize him as a governor.
A former comedian turned politician, Higashikokubaru-san uses the television to increase his popularity and discuss his political life. Today he was encouraged to be a candidate for the Diet by Koga-san, the head of the electoral commission. Each newspaper reported a different take on the event…
Asahi “Higashikokubaru: If I were a candidate…” The Asahi reported more detailed commentary…
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
