Position: Education Coordinator
Posted by: Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job received directly from the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco:

The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco has an opening for a full-time staff member in the Japan Information and Cultural Center (JICC). This position is in charge of overseeing all aspects of educational exchange between Japan and the Consulate’s jurisdiction of Northern and Central California and the entirety of Nevada, in particular study abroad programs in Japan (including promoting and overseeing applications of MEXT scholarships), introducing Japan-related topics at schools in the Consulate’s jurisdiction, promoting and supporting Japanese language study, and youth exchange.

They will also work as part of a team and assist with general JICC activities (including but not limited to office work, public events, and responding to inquiries [in English]).

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here – https://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/23_0510.html

Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

As a freelance interpreter, I often get asked about who comprises my client base or what my typical schedule is. My schedule is anything but regular, something I would imagine is common to many freelancers. It actually was the JET Program that introduced me to the idea of incredible variety within a daily schedule, as in my role as CIR one day I’d be sharing aspects of my home town with elementary school kids and running around on the playground with them, and the next I’d be a speaker in a panel discussion about internationalization for the community. I loved the fact that what I did every day was never the same as it kept me on my toes, and I have incorporated that spirit into my current work life. Nowhere was this more evident than over the last month, during which I enjoyed a great range of interpreting assignments.

May began slowly with a handful of jobs within the New York State Court System. I’m primarily needed in Family Courts throughout the boroughs or state to interpret for cases regarding divorce, custody, and child support or child abuse, or Civil Courts for landlord/tenant and other housing matters, but I also sometimes have cases at Surrogate’s Court regarding guardianship or Criminal Court for cases of a very serious nature. During Covid all types of cases were carried out virtually, but recently more have been taking place in person.

The second week of May brought the arrival from Japan of Sayaka Murata, author of the acclaimed Convenience Store Woman. I had first interpreted for her in 2018 when that book had been translated into English, and this time we would be working together in conjunction with the release of the English version of her short story collection Life Ceremony (in between these two publications, her stellar novel Earthlings has also come out in English). At the PEN World Voices Festival, Murata-san was part of an all-female author panel focusing on the theme of friendship. The following week I joined her and her publisher in visiting a handful of bookstores throughout the city to sign copies of Life Ceremony. It was fun for me to facilitate her interactions with book sellers, and for Murata-san to get back to old favorites like Three Lives & Company as well as to discover new bookstores like Yu & Me Books.

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Position: Reporter/Researcher
Posted by: DC Bureau of The Yomiuri Shimbun
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-Time

Below is a job opening received directly from the DC Bureau of The Yomiuri Shimbun Japanese newspaper:

The Yomiuri Shimbun is Japan’s largest daily newspaper with a circulation of over 6 million copies. We are headquartered in Tokyo and have over 25 international bureaus, three of which are in the United States: Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles. 

Qualifications: Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree. Background in US politics, international relations, foreign policy, economics, or journalism, is preferred. Attention to accuracy and the ability to multitask effectively under deadline is required. A strong work ethic paired with the facility to develop and maintain good sources as well as the ability to take direction well and work collaboratively with others is essential. Japanese language skills are preferred but not necessary. 

Description: Main duties include assisting our Washington-based Japanese correspondents by attending video-conference, telephonic and in-person briefings and press conferences; tracking relevant news stories; arranging and conducting interviews; composing clear and concise memos on issues of interest; and covering various events, including those held by area think tanks and Congress. Additionally, given that 2024 will be a presidential election year, coverage of various presidential campaign rallies and related events will also be an important part of the reporting duties. Rapid and precise transcription is also required. 

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Position: English Teacher
Posted by: Kobe College High School
Location: Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Contract: Full-Time

Below is a job opening sent directly to us from the school:

Job Description:

Application Process: Applications must be sent using the following link: https://www.kccjee.org/gottschalk-teachers-recruitment. Should you have any questions regarding this message, please contact me at programs@kccjee.org.

Program: Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program
Posted by: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Neave Denny (Okinawa-ken, 2010-2013) for passing along the attached opportunity at her institution.

Inaugurated in May 2013, the Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program is a critical element of the Reischauer Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. It is designed to support the Center’s various research initiatives, while also providing recent undergraduate or graduate students with broad practical experience regarding the public and private sector analysis process. Fellowships are paid and tenable for one academic year beginning in August 2023 with the potential for renewal for an additional year.

More information about our activities can be found on the Reischauer Center’s website and Facebook page. Please direct any questions about the position or application process to the Research and Program Coordinator at reischauer@jhu.edu.

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Position: Japanese/English Bilingual Staff Accountant
Posted by: Daido Corporation of America
Location: Portland, TN, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job passed along to us:

Japanese/English Bilingual Staff Accountant for Daido Corporation of America

Application Process: Send resumes to crowdusp@daidocorp.com

Contact: (p) 615-323-4007 (e) www.daidocorp.com

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.

After an unusually warm spring, it’s finally starting to feel like summer. Enjoy some seasonal events this month that celebrate the best of both fine and pop art.

This month’s highlights include: TEXT

Robert Flynt

June 1-11

Shockwave Delay

Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa, 66 East 4th Street

$10-40

This “confidential protocol” is a composition created and designed by Yoshiko Chuma. This performance is based on twenty chapters that cross over within the frame of two and half hours. Musicians, dancers and designers interact, but not directly—a parallel to incidents of sound, text and action, a metaphor for endless continuous circles of life, fluctuating between utopia and war. While observing, the audience perceives the results of war—tipping utopia. A utopia is an imagined community of society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its citizens. One could also say that utopia is a perfect “place” that has been designed so there are no problems.

June 7-July 2

KAGAMI by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tin Drum

Griffin Theater at The Shed, 545 West 30th Street

$29-$69

World premiere! In this new mixed reality collaboration with the late, legendary Academy Award-winning composer and artist Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tin Drum, spectators will witness a new kind of mixed reality concert via headsets that immerse the audience in an environment combining the maestro’s Yamaha grand concert piano performance with the physical world alongside virtual art created to accompany each song. Presented in surround sound, the experience allows the intimate 80-person audience, seated in the round, to connect like never before. “This is one of the first fully staged concerts in mixed reality, and it’s no surprise that the uniquely inventive Ryuichi Sakamoto was working on this new interdisciplinary show in recent years,” says The Shed’s Artistic Director Alex Poots. “It’s a great honor to present KAGAMI, one of Sakamoto’s final works, with our innovative partners [director] Todd Eckert and the Tin Drum team, and to share Sakamoto’s enduring legacy in this groundbreaking new artistic format.”

GKIDS

June 11, 12 and 14 

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Various locations 

$15-$20

Celebrate this beloved coming-of-age story from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, about a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt. It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside village, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation. Don’t miss this delightfully imaginative and timeless story of a young girl finding her way in the world. The June 11 screenings feature the English dubbed voices of Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman, and Debbie Reynolds.

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Position: Diplomatic Assistant at the Embassy of Japanr
Posted by: Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job received directly from the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C.:

The Embassy of Japan is seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented individual for the position of Diplomatic Assistant. This individual will be primarily responsible for managing the schedules and assisting the activities of Political Section diplomats, as well as undertaking some research on policy issues related to Japan-US relations and US politics. Please see below for a detailed listing of responsibilities.

The Embassy offers health and dental insurance, paid vacation and sick leave. Working hours are 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday, with a 1.5 hour lunch break from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. There is the occasional weeknight and/or weekend event (all qualify for paid overtime). Salary is commensurate with experience.

Please note: Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. green card holder. Screening will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Only successful candidates will be contacted. A background check will be required prior to employment start date.

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Position: Assistant Correspondent, Economics Team
Posted by: Jiji Press
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Brigid Riley (Osaka-fu, 2015-2020) for passing along the following opening with her company:

The Washington DC Bureau of Japanese newswire Jiji Press is looking for an organized, resourceful individual to join our Economics team as an Assistant Correspondent. The ideal candidate will have experience working under tight deadlines with intermediate to advanced Japanese language ability. The Assistant Correspondent will be responsible for working with the Economics team to report on data in Japanese, taking notes and participating in high-profile press events with government officials in English, and booking and conducting interviews with academics and other public sources. 

Prior experience covering economics is not required, but an understanding of DC policy-making and politics is highly encouraged. The individual will work with Japanese journalists, and will provide assistance and context regarding American topics. Prior experience working with foreign nationals or in a foreign setting is a major plus.Eligible applicants will be invited to discuss their work experience virtually or over the phone. Successful candidates will then proceed to an in-person interview with a brief skills test.

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Position: Fundraising Specialist/Development Manager
Posted by: Hakone Estate and Gardens
Location: Saratoga, California
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job passed along:

Job Purpose: Secure donations and increase the donor base for general operational needs and Capital Campaign projects.

Duties and responsibilities: Primary duties and responsibilities will include, but not limited, to the following:

• Identify charitable organizations and donors to provide funding for Hakone’s needs.
• Plan and implement programs to secure donations from organizations and individuals. 
• Make connections with charitable organizations and individuals and arrange meetings with Hakone Foundation’s Executive Director and Board Chairperson.
• Plan and implement Fundraising events as well as an annual Donor Recognition Event.
• Research and identify potential grants.
• Complete grant applications, Letters of Interest, and submit to charitable organizations.
• Manage fundraising database (donors, amounts, purpose).
• Maintain regular follow-up with charitable organizations and individuals.
• Create a vibrant Legacy Program.
• Escort potential donors on tours of Hakone Estate and Gardens, present our mission, and funding needs.
• Other duties that may be assigned.

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Position: Japan Information & Cultural Center Education Coordinator
Posted by: Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job received directly from the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco:

The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco has an opening for a full-time staff member in the Japan Information and Cultural Center (JICC). This position is in charge of overseeing all aspects of educational exchange between Japan and the Consulate’s jurisdiction of Northern and Central California and the entirety of Nevada, in particular study abroad programs in Japan (including promoting and overseeing applications of MEXT scholarships), introducing Japan-related topics at schools in the Consulate’s jurisdiction, promoting and supporting Japanese language study, and youth exchange.

They will also work as part of a team and assist with general JICC activities (including but not limited to office work, public events, and responding to inquires [in English]).

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here – https://www.sf.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/23_0510.html.

Position: Assistant Director for International House
Posted by: San Jose State University
Location: San Jose, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Jennifer Hwang (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2012) for sharing the following opening. She previously worked with the director of I-House, and she is an extremely kind and supportive boss!

San Jose State University’s International House is searching for an assistant director. They are looking for a person who will help create a warm, welcoming intercultural community at I-House while holding a position of responsibility for residents and managing administrative processes.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here – https://www.sjsu.edu/researchfoundation/about/open-positions/index.php

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:

Thursday, May 4, 7:00 p.m.

Onlookers

Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue 

$16, $8 members

Kimi Takesue’s Onlookers asks looming existential questions such as: Why do we travel? What do we seek? Onlookers offers a visually striking, immersive meditation on travel and tourism in Laos [which is also the most heavily bombed per capita in history after the U.S. dropped over 2 million tons of bombs from 1964-1973], reflecting on how we all live as observers. Unfolding in painterly tableaux, Onlookers explores the paradox of travel: Why do people fly thousands of miles from home to lounge in a Laotian guest house sipping smoothies while watching reruns of the TV show Friends? Why do we climb to the top of a colossal mountain just to snap selfies, rather than enjoy the extraordinary view? We are present, but absent. Looking, but not seeing.

Opens May 11

Yayoi Kusama: I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers

David Zwirner, 519, 525 & 533 West 19th Street

Free

One of the most celebrated contemporary artists of our time, Yayoi Kusama unveils her latest works in one of her largest gallery exhibitions to date here in New York. The exhibition features new paintings, new sculptures elaborating on her signature motifs of pumpkins and flowers, and a new Infinity Mirrored Room. Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, Kusama’s work has been featured widely in both solo and group presentations. She presented her first solo show in her native Japan in 1952. In the mid-1960s, she established herself in New York as an important avant-garde artist by staging groundbreaking and influential happenings, events, and exhibitions. Her work gained renewed widespread recognition in the late 1980s following a number of international solo exhibitions, including shows at the Center for International Contemporary Arts, New York, and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, both of which took place in 1989.

Monday, May 15, 8:00 p.m.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street

$35

Pop singer and icon of Harajuku fashion Kyary Pamyu Pamyu returns to New York for the debut date of her first U.S. tour in five years, supported by French-born and Tokyo-based DJ Moe Shop! last month, the two collaborated on their new song CANDY CANDY (Moe Shop Remix). As fans of KPP know, she’s been a J-pop icon since she first amassed a following as a teenage fashion blogger. She later rose to global fame as a viral Jpop music video star, model, and actress, even starring in numerous Japanese TV commercials. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has sold over 970,000 physical albums and singles in Japan according to Oricon as well as over 2.25 million downloads of her singles, drawing favorable comparisons to Katy Perry and Lady Gaga in her home country. Don’t miss one of the most colorful pop performers ever to take the stage!

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Position: One-Year Visiting Assistant Professor of Asian Studies
Posted by: Berea College
Location: Berea, KY, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job passed along to us:

The Berea College Asian Studies Department announces a full-time, one-year faculty position as Visiting Assistant Professor of Asian Studies, beginning August 2023. The teaching load includes three courses each semester in East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean) humanities (e.g., literature, philosophy, religious studies, etc.). Topical courses based on the candidate’s areas of specialization are also possible. PhD by August 2023 and college teaching experience preferred, ABD considered.

Appliction Process: Interested applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement on teaching philosophy, teaching evaluations, sample syllabi, graduate transcripts (unofficial accepted at this stage), and contact information for three references. More information can be found here – https://myberea.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=3&id=1268.

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled, but for full consideration applications should be received by June 1st, 2023.

Position: Audience Engagement Specialist
Posted by: Nikkei America
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Below is another job received directly from Nikkei America.

For nearly a century and a half, Nikkei Inc. has offered unparalleled coverage of Japan’s economy, industries and markets. The group’s business portfolio extends beyond traditional publishing to include broadcasting, online and the widely cited Nikkei 225 stock index. Our flagship newspaper, The Nikkei, boasts a circulation of nearly 3 million. With a network of 51 bureaus in Japan and 37 overseas, our 1,500 journalists are ideally positioned to deliver news and analysis from an Asian perspective to the world.

Nikkei America Inc., a subsidiary of Nikkei Inc., seeks an audience engagement specialist for its Nikkei Asia team in the U.S. This position in New York is for a specialist who can enhance Nikkei Asia’s online presence via social media, e-newsletters and more. The right fit will have a passion for news and data, joined with a strong drive to support editors and reporters.

Appliction Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.