Job: Partner Development and Communication Manager – TABLE FOR TWO USA (New York, NY)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: Partner Development and Communication Manage
Posted by: TABLE FOR TWO USA
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Part-time
Here’s a part-time job received directly from the organization:
TABLE FOR TWO USA(*), 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is looking for a part-time (contract position) Partner Development and Communication Manager to further expand the unique Japanese inspired food education program, Wa-Shokuiku.
About Wa-Shouiku –Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!-
The Wa-Shokuiku Project (https://www.wa-shokuiku.org) is a new initiative from TABLE FOR TWO USA (*). Wa-Shokuiku combines the Japanese words “Washoku” which refers to Japanese food and, “Shokuiku”, food education and is a 7-part series of classes on Japanese food and food culture for American elementary and middle school-age students. Our goal for the Wa-Shokuiku program is that students will be equipped with practical knowledge and skills regarding healthy eating, Japanese foodways, and best practices. The objectives are (1) to expand students’ palates by teaching how to prepare tasty and healthy dishes using washoku preparation techniques, (2) Include discussion about manners, respect toward food and simple relevant Japanese words, and (3) introduce food related concerns, such as obesity and waste while discussing do-able daily actions inspired by shokuiku. Our instructors and volunteers implement and teach the Wa-Shokuiku Curricula in schools across New York City, Washington D.C., Boston and California.
Please view these the video of the hands-on programs to give you an idea of what the program covers.
https://www.wa-shokuiku.org/photos/2017/12/6/wa-shokuiku-learn-cook-eat-japanese-introduction
Job: eLearning Course Developer / Instructional Designer – TABLE FOR TWO USA (Remote)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: eLearning Course Developer / Instructional Designer
Posted by: TABLE FOR TWO USA
Location: Remote
Contract: Part-time
Here’s a part-time job received directly from the organization:
TABLE FOR TWO USA(*), 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is looking for a part-time (contract position) e-Learning Course Developer/ Instructional Designer to develop an online food education program to teach Japanese food and foodways to high school students in the U.S.
The developer will collaborate closely with a team of subject matter experts in Japanese food education. This includes writing and developing, with some editorial, multimedia, and design work as needed. We have already developed contents for the hands-on program and some of the contents can be used for the online program.
About Wa-Shouiku –Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!-
The Wa-Shokuiku Project (https://www.wa-shokuiku.org) is a new initiative from TABLE FOR TWO USA. Wa-Shokuiku combines the Japanese words “Washoku” which refers to Japanese food and, “Shokuiku”, food education. It is a 7-part series of classes on Japanese food and food culture for American school students. We developed a hands-on program targeting elementary to middle school aged students successfully and now plan to develop its online version targeting high school students.
Job: Business News Researcher / Reporter – Yomiuri Shimbun (New York, NY, USA)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: Business News Researcher / Reporter in the New York Bureau
Posted by: Yomiuri Shimbun
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Full Time
Here’s a job received directly from the newspaper:
The Yomiuri Shimbun is Japan’s largest daily newspaper. We are headquartered in Tokyo and have 26 international bureaus, three of which are in the United States: New York, Washington, and Los Angeles. Website: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ English-language site is: http://the-japan-news.com/
Qualifications: Applicants must have a strong interest in current affairs, especially business news. An interest in journalism combined with attention to accuracy and the ability to multitask effectively under deadline is required. Applicants should already be based in New York region.
Description: Main duties involve assisting the Yomiuri Shimbun Japanese business correspondent by covering events, tracking relevant stories, arranging and conducting interviews, doing research, and coming up with story ideas. In addition to reporting on business and covering financial markets, you may have to cover other areas (including national politics, sports, etc.) as the situation warrants. Rapid transcription ability is also required. Since the articles are written in Japanese, there are no byline opportunities for this position.
Base Salary is $38,000 annually plus overtime. Compensation includes excellent medical benefits, and a 401(k).
Application Procedure: Please email cover letter and resume. No phone calls, please. Applicants must be available for in-person interviews and live in the Greater New York region.
Email letter and resume to:
Makoto Yoshiike, New York, Bureau Chief, Yomiuri Shimbun at: yominyjob2018@gmail.com
JET Prefecture Round Up (May 2018)
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JET Prefecture Round Up is a mosaic of events taking place in the AJET community in Japan. Compiled by Suzanne Bhagan (Tottori Prefecture alumni).
When: May 12
Where: Shiga Prefecture
This is a perfect opportunity to see a very traditional Japanese community surrounded by unspoilt nature.
When: May 12
Where: Chiba Prefecture
Join Chiba AJET and friends in the beautiful Chiba Minato Park and enjoy sports and snacking!
When: May 19
Where: Hiroshima Prefecture
Don your neon helmet, reflective armbands, and your tightest biking Lycra to ride over 70 km with AJET.
Block 11’s Out There On Okinawa
When: May 19-20
Where: Okinawa Prefecture
Block 11 is hitting the seas and bringing the party down to Okinawa!
21st Annual Oita AJET Charity Bike Ride
When: May 26-27
Where: Oita Prefecture
Oita AJET invites you to participate in the 21st Annual Oita Charity Bike Ride!
WIT Life #324: Inland Sea
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Written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03), WIT Life is a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
This weekend I caught Kazuhiro Soda’s Inland Sea (港町) at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Art of the Real. The festival’s opening film about John McEnroe whet my appetite for more documentaries, and I was looking forward to seeing the latest from Soda after enjoying his film Campaign at Japan Society several years back. Inland Sea is set near the hometown of his wife Kiyoko Kashiwagi, who is also the film’s producer. They were both on hand to introduce the film and take part in a post- screening Q&A. In his introduction Soda shared that the film adheres to their Ten Commandments, which include tenets such as no research before shooting, not setting any themes or goals before editing, and paying for the production on their own (to the dismay of producer Kashiwagi).
Inland Sea takes place in the port city of Ushimado in Okayama Prefecture, population 7000. Many of the younger residents have already left, and the documentary’s main subjects are the octagenarians Wai-chan and 
Kumiko, respectively a fisherman and the town crier. They are both captivating subjects, but as a cat lover I was most entranced by the stray felines who congregate at the home of transplants to the area who have been feeding them. I was engaged throughout the film’s two hour plus duration, but it definitely could have been cut in places, especially the long takes on the fishing boat.
During the Q&A Soda explained that the reason he chose to make a black and white film (except for the last color scene) was that he wanted to portray Read More
Job: Assistant Language Teachers – Nagano Prefectural Board of Education (Nagano, Japan)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: Assistant Language (English) Teachers
Posted by: Nagano Prefectural Board of Education
Location: Nagano, Japan
Contract: Full Time
Here’s a job listing from the current ALT-PA in Nagao, Vikki:
The Nagano Prefectural Board of Education is currently seeking two experienced Assistant Language (English) Teachers for direct hire positions. Application materials are due by May 21st.
Job posting details (English): https://naganojets.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/two-assistant-language-teacher-posts-available/
Job posting details (Japanese): https://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/kyoiku/kyogaku/saiyo-nyuushi/joho/altsaiyo30.html
Job: Assistant Producer, TV News – Fujisankei Communications International, Inc (New York, NY, USA)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: Assistant Producer, TV News
Posted by: Fujisankei Communications International, Inc
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Full Time
Here’s a job received directly from the company:
Fujisankei is looking to fill Assistant Producer position in the New York’s TV News Dept.
The position is available immediately.
SUMMARY
Perform North, South and Central American news-gathering activities for broadcast in Japan, including news research and on-location producing.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
TV News
- Research news story ideas and create proposals for Fuji Television Network, Inc. and affiliates’ news programs on a daily basis.
- Coordinate with the Engineering department in setting up crews, satellite bookings, coverage requirements and additional outside technical support.
- Collect information, set up interviews, and coordinate travel arrangements for any potential news, projects or breaking news.
- Go on location and perform troubleshooting, researching, translating, directing, coordinating, driving, editing and footage transmission duties for Fuji Television Network, Inc. and affiliates’ news programs.
- Keep up-to-date with the news through newspapers, news wires, magazines, TV monitors, Internet and Lexis Nexis.
- Alert the NY Bureau Chief and/or Foreign News Desk in Tokyo for any breaking news.
- Monitor AP and Reuter news sources, newspapers, magazines, television monitors for current and breaking news.
- Perform other related duties as assigned and required.
- Perform other duties assigned from time to time by FCI Management.
JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York — Japan Day @ Central Park, Miyavi, In Praise of Natto
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By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe–shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.
As spring continues and the weather continues to warm, New Yorkers can enjoy activities all over the city both indoors and out.
This month’s highlights include:
© George Hirose
Sunday, May 6, 11:00 a.m.
Children’s Day Festival: Kodomo no Hi
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$18, $10 Japan Society members, children ages 2 and under free
Hang the koinobori (carp streamers) and don your kabuto (samurai helmet): Children’s Day is on its way! Come join us for Japan’s national holiday where all children are stars and their happiness is celebrated. Enjoy a performance of Peach Boy (Momotaro) featuring storytelling, music, dance, taiko drumming and lots of audience participation. Continue the adventure with other authentic Kodomo no Hi activities!
Courtesy of Sonyhall.com
Sunday, May 6, 8:00 p.m.
Sony Hall, 235 West 46th Street
$34.50, $74.50 VIP
Keiko Matsui’s music speaks to the hearts and souls of fans around the world, transcending borders and building bridges among people who share a common appreciation of honest artistry and cultural exchange. Journey to the Heart, her 27th recording as a leader, marks the 30th anniversary since her recording debut and is her boldest statement yet. On Journey to the Heart, Matsui more than delivers what she has come to be loved for breathtakingly beautiful transcendent melodies that transport the listener. A master storyteller, she crafts passionate and emotive songs with lush harmonies and global rhythms to create timeless musical anthems.
© Connie Ma
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 p.m.
Cool Tokyo: Harajuku, Akihabara and Beyond
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$14, $11 Japan Society members, seniors and students
From street fashion to street food, kawaii to cosplay, Tokyo is the epicenter of Japan’s latest trends. With so much to explore in this vibrant, fast-paced city, it can be hard to know where to start. At this talk, Sebastian Masuda, visual artist and founder of Harajuku shop 6%DokiDoki, and Abby Denson, comic book artist and author of Cool Tokyo Guide: Adventures in the City of Kawaii Fashion, Train Sushi and Godzilla, help to navigate Tokyo’s vending machines, subway etiquette, hidden treasures, and much more. Followed by a book signing reception.
JQ Magazine: Film Review — ‘Mary and the Witch’s Flower’
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“Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi delivers a film packed with many of the attributes that characterizes Studio Ghibli at its best.” (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama–shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle has completed a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association of New York since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a New York City–based soccer team.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the debut feature film from Studio Ponoc, an anime outfit founded by Studio Ghibli veterans Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura after Ghibli closed its doors in 2015, starts in medias res, with a violent firestorm engulfing the screen. A small girl with bright red hair escapes the maelstrom by flying away on a broomstick, pursued by dolphin-squid-fighter-jet hybrids. She plunges down through the clouds and crashes into a field, where her stolen cargo of glowing blue flowers scatters, instantly transforming the landscape as trees burst out of the earth to towering heights in the blink of an eye. Who she is, where she is, and why she needs to escape isn’t revealed until the final act.
Director Yonebayashi delivers a film packed with many of the attributes that characterizes Studio Ghibli at its best. In this story (based on The Little Broomstick, a 1971 children’s novel by popular British author Mary Stewart, a young female protagonist journeys through a fantastical world, battling witches on a magical quest. As in the best films of Hayao Miyazaki, the hand-drawn animation (a novelty in the CGI-dominated marketplace) depicts a European fairy tale setting while retaining a unique Japanese otherworldliness. This family-friendly film recalls such Miyazaki masterworks as Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Unlike those films, however, Mary and the Witch’s Flower falls short of being a masterpiece.
The animators invoke worlds upon worlds here: the green woods and mist-filled forests of England rendered in swooning evocative watercolors, and the show-stopping Endor, a psychedelic space from out of a dream or drug trip, packed with strange objects, unexplainable phenomena, students floating by in soap bubbles, fountains morphing into human form, grotesque creatures loping out of the shrubbery, only to disappear just as quickly. Endor is dazzling in an off-putting way (similar to some of the “worlds” presented in Ari Folman’s The Congress, where animated avatars engulf their originals). The action sequences are intricate and thrilling.
Job: Account Executive – Mutual Trading Co., Inc. (Secaucus, NJ, USA)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: Account Executive – Development
Posted by: Mutual Trading Co., Inc.
Location: Secaucus, NJ, USA
Contract: Full Time
Here’s a job received directly from the company:
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The position develops mainstream market especially bar market with Japanese alcohol beverages as well as barware or ingredients. Also expected to consistently provide excellent customer service to existing customers which will be asked to achieve company’s target. The position will should build relationships with customers to encourage new and repeat business opportunities.
- Develop mainstream market especially bar market with Japanese alcohol beverages such as Shochu or Whisky.
- Increase sales for existing customers as well as new customers including some states in East Coast.
- Responsible for all customer communications, conflict resolution, and compliance on customer deliverables and revenue.
- Ensures that customer issues are dealt with in an efficient manner, informing the Manager or Managing Director of any problems that may arise.
- Taking orders and making invoices, and is responsible for payment collections.
- Communicates the customer’s goals and represent the customer’s interests
- Understanding of company capabilities and service, and effectively communicates all offerings to the customer.
- Reports to the Manager, providing regular input on all account activity, including status and call reports monthly.
Job: Associate Program Officer – The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (New York, NY)
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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Job Title: Associate Program Officer, Grassroots Exchange & Education and Japanese Studies Programs
Posted by: The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Full Time
Here’s a job opening received directly from the company:
We have an opening for an Associate Program Officer in Grassroots Exchange & Education and Japanese Studies Programs and are seeking to hire a highly-skilled individual with a background in Japan.
Japan Writers Conference seeks presenters
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Posted by Tom Baker
The 12th annual Japan Writer’s Conference will be held this year in Hokkaido, a new location for the event. The organizers are now seeking writers to give presentations on the weekend of Oct. 13-14 at Otaru University of Commerce in Otaru, Hokkaido. If you are a writer and would like to participate, contact details appear at the bottom of this post.
Each year, the Japan Writers Conference attracts English-language writers in a variety of genres and fields to share ideas on the art, craft and business of writing. And each year, a significant number of past and present JETs take part. These have included anthologist Suzanne Kamata, textbook author Todd Jay Leonard, travel writer Victoria Vlisides, short story writer Claire Dawn-Marie Gittens, novelists Benjamin Martin, Percival Constantine and Holly Thompson (the last of whom came to Japan in connection with the pre-JET MEF program), and journalists Elaine Lies and Tom Baker (the latter of whom wrote this post).
Past presenters have also included Australian poet David Gibley, “Slumdog Millionaire” novelist Vikas Swarup, “Cash Crash Jubilee” novelist Eli K.P. William, young-adult author Margi Preus, horror author Thersa Matsuura, and memoirist Leza Lowitz. The 2017 edition of “The Best American Mystery Stories,” edited by John Sandford, features a story by Karen McGee, who hosted the 2017 event in Tokyo. The host of this year’s event will be travel writer and textbook author Shawn Clankie.
Representatives of literary journals such as The Font and Cha have participated in past years, as have representatives of publishers including Fine Line Press and Isobar Press.
Run entirely by volunteers, the Japan Writers Conference is a free event open to all. Details on this year’s event can be found at http://www.japanwritersconference.org.
Writers interested in making a presentation at the 2018 conference are asked to contact organizer John Gribble at gribblej@gol.com. The deadline for presentation proposals is June 1.
TED JETs: Bruce Feiler on “Agile programming — for your family”
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Posted by Tom Baker
JETs tend to be interesting people. After all, every single one of them has voluntarily relocated to a different country at least once. It’s not surprising that many of them have also had other interesting experiences, some of which lead to insights that they end up sharing in TED talks.
This post begins an occasional series on current or former JETs who have given TED talks. To kick things off, here is Tochigi Prefecture JET alum Bruce Feiler speaking about “Agile programming — for your family.”
Posted by Tom Baker
Job Title: Volunteers (multiple categories)
Posted by: Tokyo 2020 organizing committee
Location: Tokyo and environs
“More than 110,000 volunteer roles in total are expected as part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. This number includes 80,000 roles for Games Volunteers, 30,000 roles for City Volunteers recruited by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and a number of volunteer opportunities through other local municipalities…
“Games volunteers will be directly involved in assisting Games’ operations before, during and after the Tokyo 2020 Games, and will be expected to play an active role in helping to create a positive and exciting atmosphere, thus contributing to the overall success of the Games.
“It is essential that we involve a diverse range of people working towards the realisation of a successful Games, regardless of age, gender, nationality or the presence or absence of an impairment.”
Recruitment will officially begin in mid-September. Meanwhile, detailed information, including descriptions of multiple job categories, is available at https://tokyo2020.org/en/get-involved/volunteer/about/
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Jazz Musician Meg Okura
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“Japanese people are open and unafraid of owning music from other cultures. It’s a uniquely Japanese thing to embrace arts from other cultures and perform them at a high level.” (Taka Harkness)
By Allen Wan (Ishikawa-ken, 1990-92) for JQ magazine. Allen works as a foreign correspondent in Shanghai. He is also a lecturer in the executive MBA program at Jiao Tong University and currently serves as president of the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club. Allen would like to get in touch with other JET alumni in Shanghai who are interested in setting up a JETAA chapter.
Tokyo native Meg Okura defies convention. While forging a prolific career in music since graduating from Juilliard in the ’90s (working with the likes of Diana Krall and David Bowie to name a few), this Grammy-nominated jazz violinist continues reaching out to new audiences through her “world chamber jazz” that could mean anything from performing the erhu with her Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble or big band music from Japanese and Jewish composers.
As part of the NPO Trio, Okura recently released Live at the Stone, a collaboration with husband Sam Newsome (soprano saxophone) and Jean-Michel Pilc (piano) that creates a unique sound with hints of familiar melodies including well-known Yiddish songs and even excerpts of John Coltrane. Arriving May 13 is IMA IMA, Okura’s latest studio effort. A reflection on motherhood featuring the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble and trumpeter Tom Harrell, this new material will be showcased in an intimate live performance at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York on Aug. 20.
In this exclusive interview, Okura discusses her inspirations and also tackles taboo topics like whether the music industry needs its own #MeToo movement and the difficulty of making a living as a musical artist in the age of the internet.
You are known for your eclectic music, getting inspiration from jazz, pop, and all the way to 19th century Yiddish music. Is that a concerted effort to avoid being typecast in any particular genre?
I create music that is true to myself. Different types of music reveal themselves to me whether it sounds like Ose Shalom, J.S. Bach, Piazzolla, Coltrane or even YMO. I just welcome what comes to me. But don’t get me wrong, I am a firm proponent of straight-ahead jazz. I am a jazz musician first and foremost, but I also used to perform Brahms and Ravel, and have toured with Michael Brecker as well as many Jewish bands. So I just stay true to myself and try to accept my whole history and different life experiences.
Has being born and raised in Japan influenced your musical style? Why learn the erhu and not the shamisen, for instance?
Japanese people are open and unafraid of owning music from other cultures. For example, I am very unapologetic about learning the erhu, jazz, and Judaism—things that obviously belong to races, cultures, and traditions different from my own. It’s a uniquely Japanese thing to embrace arts from other cultures and perform them at a high level.
What got you hooked on Yiddish music, and did your husband have any influence on that?
Do you know that I have a big band called J-Orchestra? We play music by Jewish and Japanese composers including works by yours truly, who is both Jewish and Japanese. Not only am I a Jew but I have also studied German and Hebrew, so I always felt connected to the Yiddish melodies—minor melodies with major chords. I always cry every time I play “Oyfn Pripetchik.” My husband, Sam Newsome, on the other hand, is not Jewish. So he is not familiar with these melodies at all, and it works out beautifully keeping our music making fresh and unique.
