Oct 4

Return to Tohoku Update 10.04.11

Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku Update 10.04.11

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Here are updates from a few more of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.

• Audrey Shiomi (CIR Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, 1999-2001) has had some of her excellent writing and observations published in a series titled Tohoku Travelogue (http://rafu.com/news/tag/tohoku-travelogue/) including:
• “Moving On From Tragedy” (Oct 1)
• “Scenes from an Izakaya” (Sept 15)
• “Nearly Swept Away” (Sept 14)
• “Ah Matsushima!” (Sept 11)
• “Signs, Signs, Everywhere!” (Sept 10)
• “Gambarimasu” (Sept 9)
• “The Telephone Booth” (Sept 8)
• “Letters to Sendai” (Sept 8)
• “Ganbarou Nihon!” (Sept 7)
• “Omiyage 101” (Sept 6)
• “To Be Afraid or Not To Be Afraid….” (Sept 2)
• Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) – “Why This is Only Blog #3.5” – Brent tries to explain the overwhelmingness of visiting Soma and how it has affected his approach to blogging about his trip.  He shares photos and questions why he has taken them.
• Sharon Van Etten (CIR Iwate-ken), President of JETAA Sydney, has blogged about her trip here:  Revisiting Iwate:  http://revisitingiwate.blogspot.com/  Here are some recent posts:
• “Iwate Highlights – World Cultural Heritage Sights in Haraizumi“
• “Back to School“
• “Getting Away From It All“

Click here to read other Return To Tohoku updates on JETwit.  You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information. 

Oct 3

WIT Life #181: Volunteer interpreter in Tohoku

Earthquake Tsunami, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #181: Volunteer interpreter in Tohoku

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.

For those want to help out with Japan’s recovery effort and have Japanese language skills, here’s a great way.  Please see below message regarding details of a 6-week volunteer interpreting opportunity in the disaster area, and contact Laura/Jiella directly if you are interested.  For those who want to help but aren’t able to make it over, think about picking up the new Travel Guide to Aid Japan.  It features some fabulous sites in Japan, some of which you might not be aware, written up by an interesting mix of celebrity contributors.  All proceeds from its sales (minus expenses) will be donated to the Japan Red Cross for use toward disaster recovery efforts.

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Dear all,

Many of you have heard of the group All Hands Volunteers, an American
NGO that has been working in Ofunato and Rikusentakata in Iwate
Prefecture doing tsunami relief since right after the March 11
disaster.  This is an amazing organization that harnesses the power of
volunteers in disaster response.  For those of you who were on the
USJLP Japan trip this year, you heard about them in my presentation.

Spencer and I were up in Ofunato again last weekend volunteering with
All Hands and we continue to be very impressed – there were over 90
Japanese and international volunteers working together to clear
highway ditches and rice field drainage systems, to clean and retouch
damaged photographs, and to remove damaged materials from homes
devastated by the tsunami.  This organization has made a huge
difference to the people of Ofunato and Rikusentakata, and there were
posters all over town thanking All Hands for their efforts.

All Hands is continuing their project in Tohoku until November 12 and
they are in urgent need of an interpreter for these next 6 weeks of
the project.

Food, lodging and a (small) salary will be provided, and this
interpreter will be heavily involved in the day to day management of
the project, alongside an American Project Director.  The interpreter
needs to speak very good English and Japanese, and will need to
relocate to Ofunato right away for the next 6 weeks.

This is a great opportunity to make a big difference and contribute to
the recovery of Japan.  Please see this link for more information
about the project: http://hands.org/projects/project-tohoku/

Please let me and Jiella Esmat (jiella@hands.org) if you or anyone you
know is interested.  Feel free to pass this around.

Thanks so much for your help,
Laura (USJLP ’11, ’12, and Board Member of All Hands Volunteers)

From: Laura Winthrop Abbot
Date: September 30, 2011 20:43:01 CDT
To: usjlp@listserve.com
Subject: [Usjlp] Interpreter needed urgently: All Hands Volunteers Project Tohoku

Sep 29

I’ll Make It Myself! – Mini Okara Gateaux Chocolat

Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers chocolate, Food, gateau, okara, tofu, vegetarian Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself! – Mini Okara Gateaux Chocolat

L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and translator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa and Discover Kanazawa, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan.

 Mini Okara Gateaux Chocolat

While looking for recipes the first time I bought okara, I had found several for okara gateaux. This recipe is the result of experimenting with a number of these, particularly with the amount of sugar and cocoa. The texture is quite different than a traditional chocolate gateau, but if you like desserts that have been remade with healthier ingredients (tofu, soy milk, etc.), this is bound to be a hit.

CLICK HERE to read the full post.

Sep 27

I’ll Make It Myself! – Aka-Zuiki Quick Pickles

Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers cooking in Japan, Food, Kaga Yasai, pickles, taro, tsukemono Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself! – Aka-Zuiki Quick Pickles

Editor’s Note:  I’ll Make It Myself is a blog about food culture and cooking for yourself in Japan by Ishikawa-based JET alum L.M. Zoller.  We’re very pleased to share selected posts on JETwit as well.

L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and translator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa and Discover Kanazawa, ze also writes I’ll Make it Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan.

Hello, JETwit! I’m pleased to introduce my food blog I’ll Make it Myself: An Expat Career Woman’s Love Affair with Things Culinary. I cover a wide range of topics on this blog, including Japanese recipes, recipes adapted for Japan, local food culture, and restaurant reviews. A little about me: I’m obsessed with kabocha and oatmeal; I go through cinnamon like a champ; and I’m constantly on the hunt for good microbrews–the darker, the better. Many of my recipes and reviewed restaurants are vegetarian-friendly, and I try to keep things fairly healthy. Today, I’m posting a recent entry about Kaga heirloom vegetables, a recipe for gorgeous, quick, and delicious Japanese-style pickles.

Aka-Zuiki Quick Pickles (Red-Taro-Stem Vinegar Pickles) 

Japanese food traditionally includes a lot of tsukemono (漬け物), or pickles. The first thing most Americans will think of when you say pickles is dill (cucumber) pickles that go with sandwiches; however, pickles are any vegetable that has been preserved with brining. Japanese pickles cover a wide range of base ingredients, including carrots, cucumbers, ginger, and plums; as well as a wide variety of pickling styles: salt, miso, vinegar, nuka (rice bran), and more. Some recipes call for the pickling mixture and vegetables (or fruit) to be aged overnight or for several months, but this recipe can be consumed right after cooking!

CLICK HERE to read the full post.

Sep 27

JET alum author Bruce Feiler’s latest NYTimes column

Article/Journalism, Books, Celebrity, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on JET alum author Bruce Feiler’s latest NYTimes column

September 23, 2011

By BRUCE FEILER

I RECENTLY attended a chaotic, kid-friendly gathering at the home of a friend. On my way to the bathroom to seek some solace, I decided to indulge in one of my favorite antisocial activities: scrutinizing someone else’s bookshelf. For a veteran sleuth, a bookshelf can offer a trove of insights worthy of any Freudian’s couch. Does a person alphabetize the books or clump them? Do they arrange their books by genre, order in which they were purchased, or color? Are these books unopened hardcovers or dog-eared paperbacks?

I was several minutes into my investigation (Bill Clinton’s memoir; “The DaVinci Code”), when I had a heart-sinking realization: Read More

Sep 26

WIT Life #180: 節電の夏

Earthquake Tsunami, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #180: 節電の夏

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.

Hisashiburi and following the celebration of 秋分の日 (shubun no hi, or Autumnal Equinox Day) this past weekend, welcome to fall!  Commemorating the passing of the season is an editorial from this morning’s NYT, which discusses the 節電 (setsuden, or energy saving) measures the Japanese undertook this summer and their success.

Also, make sure to check out this series of setsuden posters mentioned in the article.  They were created by a community of graphic designers in response to a call to arms on Twitter.  The one pictured here is a spoof on the ubiquitous construction poster and reads, “Please save energy,” and in smaller lettering on the side, “For all of the disaster areas.”

Sep 22

Media Outlets Claiming ‘Law Is no Longer a Golden Ticket’ Conceal Decades of a Profession in Decline

Academic, Advice, Blogs, Career, Graduate School, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on Media Outlets Claiming ‘Law Is no Longer a Golden Ticket’ Conceal Decades of a Profession in Decline

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates a think tank of one, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.

The popular lawyer periodical, the Am Law Daily, ran an article I wrote, titled, “Media Outlets Claiming ‘Law Is no Longer a Golden Ticket’ Conceal Decades of a Profession in Decline.” In it I use Bureau of Economic Analysis data, charts, and animations to demonstrate that the legal sector of the U.S. economy stagnated about 20 years ago, and along with increasing law school tuition creates a crisis for legal education in the United States.

Sep 20

Ishikawa AJET publishes digital cookbook for charity

AJET, Books, Earthquake Tsunami, Food & Drink, Fundraising, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Writers Comments Off on Ishikawa AJET publishes digital cookbook for charity

Thanks to Leah Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) for sharing the below.  Leah is currently a writer and translator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa, an art-based tourism project via a METI grant to the Cooperative Association for the Promotion of Kanazawa-Kaga Maki-e in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.

Ishikawa AJET has just published a digital cookbook for charity.  The book is designed for the English-speaking expat in Japan.

CLICK HERE for details and to purchase the Ishikawa AJET Digital Cookbook.

When I moved to rural Ishikawa in 2009, I had to entirely revamp my philosophy on cooking: how to work with the ingredients I had available in my small town; how to cook without a full-size oven; how to deal with metric measurements; and how to cook for one. I started this project with the hope that any JET, regardless of cooking skill or Japanese language ability, could arrive in Japan and immediately have a guide to simple home-cooking and be able to make the food s/he wants to eat.

The recipes are written in English with the Japanese terms for the ingredients right on the page, along with helpful hints for navigating the grocery store. Measurements are in metrics, and the recipes are meant for Japanese kitchen equipment, so you never have to worry about recipes not fitting in the oven range or not cooking through. Furthermore, 30 JETs and friends and I did extensive testing on the recipes to make sure they all were easy to understand and actually worked correctly. The recipes are a mixture of Japanese, foreign, and fusion food, and include a large number vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free recipes.

Because this is a pdf, we were able to save on printing costs and keep things more environmentally friendly. The pdf is interactive: there are hotlinks to recipes from the indices, and the document is searchable. Our design team did a fantastic job, and it’s a very useful friendly layout.

The cookbook costs 1000 yen, and all proceeds go to Second Harvest Japan, a charity that brings food and supplies to food banks, orphanages, single mothers, immigrants, et al. This charity has been critical in the relief efforts after the Tohoku Earthquake.

The original post on the Ishikawa JET Blog is here: http://ishikawajet.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/master-cooking-in-japan-with-the-ishikawa-kitchen/

Payment options include using paypal for a downloadable pdf (see link) or contacting AJET directly at ishikawaajet@gmail.com to pay via furikomi and receive the document by email.

Sep 20

Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.20.11

Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.20.11

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Here are updates from a few more of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.

• Ben Erickson (Iwate-ken, Ninohe-shi) of Pacific Northwest JETAA left yesterday for Iwate.  You can follow his experience on his blog at Tohokuben.com – One JET’s Return to Iwate.  Here’s Ben’s current itinerary:

• Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) – “A Rough Guide to My Fukushima Trip – Return to Tohoku #1“ –Brent, based in Ottawa, shares his itinerary as he prepares to depart Canada for Fukushima.

You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information.

Sep 13

Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.13.11

Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: Round-up 09.13.11

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Here are updates from a few more of the 20 Tohoku region JET alumni selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to return to their town to both engage in volunteer efforts and also help document and share what’s going on there.

• Alan Mockridge (Iwate-ken, Ohtsuchi-shi), originally from the UK and now based in Santa Clara, CA, has started a blog in preparation for his upcoming trip to Tohoku.  www.alanmockridge.com  Alan reports that his town of Ohtsuchi “was completely destroyed by earthquake, tsunami & fire on 3/11. As you can imagine, after 17 years its been a bit of a challenge to reconnect with my old school but I’ve managed it & will depart on 19th Sep. until 27th.”

• James Foley will be blogging about his visit at  jamesafoley.com.

• Brent Stirling (Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, 2006-10) – “Still Alive, Just Really Busy” – Brent, based in Ottawa, writes about getting ready for his upcoming Tohoku visit and includes some of the recent media coverage about him.

You can also check the JETAA USA website post (“JET Alums Return to Tohoku”) for additional information.

Sep 13

CBC News Article on the MOFA/JET Alum “Return to Tohoku” Program

Earthquake Tsunami, Interview/Profile, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on CBC News Article on the MOFA/JET Alum “Return to Tohoku” Program

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Here’s a link to a nice article on Canada’s CBC News website titled, “Repairing Japan’s image, one teacher at a time:  20 former teachers return to view progress in Japan six months after the earthquake and tsunami.” (By Amber Hildebrandt)

“Japan is employing an unusual method in its attempt to rejuvenate its faltering international image after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated the country exactly six months ago on March 11.

It comes in the form of a petite, brunette teacher from Canada: Tanya Gardecky, 25, of Aurora, Ont.

Or rather in the form of 20 foreigners from around the world who once taught English in the devastated regions and now have gone back, on Japan’s dime, to view the progress for themselves.

Each was once a teacher with the government-funded JET Programme and taught in the public school system.”

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article

Sep 7

Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”

Article/Journalism, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Japan Trends, Travel/Tourism, Writers Comments Off on Slate.com series: “Can Japan Recover?”

There’s an excellent ongoing series on Slate.com titled “Can Japan Recover?” by Daisann McLane as she travels through various areas of Tohoku.  McLane is traveling and writing about Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

1. “Sendai Rising From the Wreckage“
2. “The Fishermen of Fukushima“
3. “The New Fear of Food“

“I’m exploring recovering Japan as a guest of the Japan National Tourism Organization. Tourism here dropped through the floor in the first three months after what’s now being called the “Triple Disaster”—earthquake, tsunami, Fukushima. The tourism board was so eager for upbeat stories they offered to send me anywhere I wanted over the course of a week. I emailed them a decidedly non-upbeat itinerary: Sendai, Fukushima, Tokyo. To my surprise, and to their credit, they said no problem. A few weeks later, in July, I was on a Shinkansenspeeding north from Tokyo to Sendai.”

To read more of McLane’s writing about Japan on her travel blog, go to www.therealtravelblog.com.

Sep 3

“A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims” by ex-JET Jeannie McKinney

Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, Japan Trends, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on “A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims” by ex-JET Jeannie McKinney

This article titled “A Perspective on Helping Japan Disaster Victims“ recently appeared on the CleanEnergy.org website, written by Jeannie McKinney (Hokkaido, 2010-11) who is currently doing an internship for the Knoxville, TN office of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).

Link to original post:  http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/08/30/helping-japan-disaster-victims/

Here’s an excerpt:

“Post-March 11th, the amount of willingness and enthusiasm, good will and generosity that came from abroad as well as at home, was honestly overwhelming. I was living in a small town in Hokkaido, the northernmost island and prefecture of Japan, at the time of the disaster, in an area that experienced nothing but a few tremors and shakes. But somehow, my community of 13,000 generated so many donation packages within the first few weeks after the disaster that our three little post offices had trouble handling the increased mail traffic. Instead, postal workers had to set out collection bins in their lobbies for the Japan Red Cross to come and pick up on their own.”

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“The problem is that there is only so much individuals can do on their own, without any direction or instruction from organized groups – especially without advice from the country’s government. Post-Katrina, the biggest complaints here in the U.S. were the slow reactions of the local and federal government to respond. Though nonprofits and volunteer groups were first on the scene, there was only so much they could do without bureaucratic support.”

“The same can be said for Japan right now, both in disaster areas as well as radiation areas.”

Sep 3

Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return

Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, Japan Local, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Travel/Tourism, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on Return to Tohoku: WSJ article on ex-JET’s return

Nice article on the Wall Street Journal’s RealJapan blog titled “JET Calls in Favors in Tohoku“ about ex-JET Tanya Gardecky (Miyagi-ken, Shiogama-shi) and her return to Tohoku through the MOFA program.  Follow JETwit updates on Tanya here and follow Tanya’s ongoing blog of her experience here.

Link to the article:  http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/09/01/jet-calls-in-favors-in-tohoku/

Aug 29

JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JET Alum Mike Maher-King of Smile Kids Japan

Earthquake Tsunami, Interview/Profile, JQ Magazine, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Volunteer, Writers Comments Off on JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JET Alum Mike Maher-King of Smile Kids Japan

"We are already talking to some universities and some private companies about Smile Kids Japan and soon I hope to have more volunteers than there are JETs in Japan! The JET network and support of AJET is at the very core of what we do."

By Renay Loper (Iwate-ken, 2006-07) for JQ magazine. Renay is a freelance writer and Associate Program Officer at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. Visit her blog at Atlas in Her Hand.

Mike Maher-King (Fukui-ken, 2006-11), originally from Shoreham-by-Sea, UK (near Brighton) and founder of Smile Kids Japan, which was created with the mission to have every orphanage in Japan visited regularly by a volunteer team in an effort to provide children with mentoring, cultural exchange and a newfound sense of trust.

Having making several Japanese friends while attending Royal Holloway, University of London, Mike eventually traveled to Japan and while there, fell in love with the people, the language, the culture, and most of all…the food! After working for a couple years in the UK, Mike returned to Japan as an ALT and eventually went on to create an organization that would touch the lives of thousands of Japanese children.

Recently, Mike took a few moments away from his hectic schedule to share with us a little about his organization, the emergence of volunteerism in Japan, and the impact the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami have had on his work.

When you first began Smile Kids Japan, did you realize you were introducing the concept of mentoring to the Japanese you were working with?

I didn’t actually realize that there are not as many opportunities for people to volunteer here in Japan as there are in the UK, USA, Canada. etc. until I started looking for a way to volunteer. I think with the cultural senpai-kohai (seniority based relationships) system here in Japan, the idea of mentoring isn’t at all new. However, this application of it is relatively new.

What challenges did you encounter doing volunteer work in Japan, where volunteerism isn’t as popular as it is in countries such as the UK or U.S.?

Setting up the very first meeting took a few months and lots of Japanese bureaucracy skills. But it was definitely worth the prodding! That and the initial 10 minutes of shyness, and walking into a room 1/4 of the size I expected with 10 more kids than we thought would choose to come meant all our planning wasn’t quite right! Further, it was also a little tricky to explain to some of the children’s homes what we wanted to do.

What do you think Smile Kids Japan has done for volunteerism in Japan?

There are so many people who do not realize the need for volunteers until they see it with their own eyes. I think that we are [now] approaching the tipping point. However, it is still a work in progress. We have provided an outlet for many people that want to help but didn’t have a channel for their energy. The [recent] earthquake initially transformed things with a huge amount of people volunteering. It will be interesting to see if this is carried back to people’s towns all around Japan.

Read More