WIT Life #380: Tokyo Cowboy
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.
Happy early fall everyone! I can’t believe that six months have passed since my latest entry, but time seems to have a way of doing that. Last night I had the chance to check out the film Tokyo Cowboy starring actor Arata Iura. I was struck by Iura when I saw him in his first leading role in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 1998 film After Life, (Japanese title: ワンダフルライフ or wandafuru raifu) which is second only to Defending Your Life as my favorite movie about what happens when we die.
Tokyo Cowboy is directed by Marc Marriott and written by Dave Boyle and Ayako Fujitani, who also produced and stars in the film as Iura’s boss and love interest. The fish out of water story is reminiscent of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest Evil Does Not Exist, with a city slicker trying to change the ways of rural folk. Iura’s character businessman Hideki goes to visit the Montana cattle ranch his Japanese company owns. Developers plan to buy out this underperforming ranch, but Hideki has an idea to save it by raising wagyu. However, upon arrival he realizes this will be much more difficult to achieve than he initially thought.
Read MoreJob: CPS Teacher [K-8 Japanese] – Chicago Public Schools – (Chicago, IL, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: CPS Teacher (K-8 Japanese)
Posted by: Chicago Public Schools
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Contract: Full-Time
Thanks to Chicago Public Schools for passing along the following job opening.
Description: CPS is looking for a substitute Japanese teacher at the Chicago Language Academy (1340 West Harrison Street) for grades K-8 from the end of August to the start of winter break in December. Class size ranges from 10-13 students. Working time is 7:45am-2:45pm. Please check the CPS website for more details on the job posting.
Application Process: For more information adn to apply, please click here – https://cpsk12il.taleo.net/careersection/3/jobdetail.ftl?job=P144981&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago
Job: Account Executive – Day-Lee Foods, Inc. (Remote)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Account Executive
Posted by: Day-Lee Foods, Inc.
Location: Remote
Contract: Full-Time
Thanks to Matthew Tsuda (Kumamoto, 2015-2016) for passing along the following job opening.
Description: Freelance Copywriter for Branding Project for Nationwide Brand (Japanese speaker is a plus). The position is project-based (Freelance).
Application Process: If interested, reach out to <jkam@day-lee.com>
Job: Localization Coordinator/Translator – Quick USA (Palo Alto, CA, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Localization Coordinator/Translator
Posted by: Quick USA
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time
Thanks to Carlos Medina (Oita Prefecture( Hiji-Machi), 2019-2022) for passing along the following job opening.
A very popular Japanese gaming company located in the Santa Ana, CA area is currently looking for a Bilingual Localization Coordinator/Translator to join their team on a full-time basis.
This is a great position to get into the localization industry and further develop your translations skills by translating games, websites, and text in bonus components from Japanese to English. You would also be coordinating activities like communicating with licensors in Japan and other parts of the United States.
The salary range for this position DOE and skills would be around the 45k-66 mark.
Your essential duties for this position would include the following:
Read MoreJob: Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Associate – Mitsubishi Corporation (Palo Alto, CA, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Associate
Posted by: Mitsubishi Corporation
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time
Thanks to Alexandra Coats (Toyama, 2008-2010) for passing along the following job opening.
The Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Associate will drive Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) Silicon Valley office’s growth by executing the business development and strategic partnership activities and conducting business development research.
Key Accountabilities:
< Open Innovation Platform Initiatives and Operations >
- Work collaboratively with members of the Open Innovation Platform, ensuring smooth operations of its initiatives.
- Coordinate and oversee activities and cross-functional projects for both the Open Innovation Platform members and internal stakeholders
- Conduct comprehensive data analysis and provide analytical support of certain industries and markets using external resources.
Job: Media Researcher/Assistant Reporter – Nikkei America Inc. (Washington D.C., USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Media Researcher/Assistant Reporter
Posted by: Nikkei America Inc.
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Contract: Full-Time
Thanks to Joseph Meringolo (Fukushima-ken, 2014-2017) for passing along the following job opening.
Nikkei America, Inc. is one of the subsidiaries of Nikkei, Inc.
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.
Our digital-first global posture includes the award-winning Nikkei Asia and Financial Times, both in English. As content partners, Nikkei Asia and the FT share select articles with their audiences and collaborate editorially.
<Role>
Nikkei America is looking for a media researcher/assistant reporter for its Washington D.C. bureau.
This position in the Washington D.C. bureau is responsible for providing quality reporting, writing, and editorial support to the bureau chief and correspondents, as well as the administrative support necessary to run the bureau as a news organization.
This position may attend press conferences alone or travel to other parts of the country and may collaborate with reporters in other areas, such as New York and Tokyo. In addition to conducting the main tasks as a researcher to assist the bureau chief and correspondents, this position occasionally writes and edits stories in the English language for publication in Nikkei Asia and other media published or distributed by Nikkei group companies when possible.
JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York – ‘Ninja Scroll’ Revival, ‘Cowboy Bebop,’ ‘Demon Slayer’ In Concert
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 the summer winds fade into fall colors, the weeks ahead are shaping up with these exciting events, ready to be enjoyed after Labor Day.
This month’s highlights include:
Sept. 11-12, 15-17
Various theaters
Various prices
Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents the classic anime Ninja Scroll’s 30th anniversary with an all-new exclusive interview with director Yoshiaki Kawajiri! A mysterious vagabond sets out on a journey to confront his past. Little does he know he is up against a demonic force of killers, with a ghost from his past as the leader. When Jubei saves a young ninja woman from the unthinkable, he assumes that’s the end of it. To his surprise, it’s only just the beginning. Together, the two investigate the mysterious deaths of an entire village which uncovers a conspiracy of demonic proportions! Getting closer to the truth, the demonic forces will stop at nothing to silence Jubei and his companion for good!
Sept. 11-15, 17-19
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$44, $58
Dogugaeshi, the award-winning phenomenon by genius puppeteer Basil Twist, is back! Born as a Japan Society commission, this ever-innovative piece now celebrates its 20th anniversary. Enter a mystical world, where a mysterious white fox shepherds you through past and present Japan. Inspired by a disappearing traditional stage mechanism from Japan’s Awa region called dogugaeshi, Twist has created fusuma screens with stunning painted imagery that dance, slide, flip, conceal and reveal to pull audiences deeper into a brain-bending optical illusion. Dogugaeshi is a cross-cultural collaboration with master shamisen player and experimental musician Yumiko Tanaka, whose multi-layered music collage embraces everything from traditional tunes to popular songs.
Sept. 12-13, 7:00 p.m.
Cowboy Bebop LIVE Presented by Bebop Bounty Big Band
Gramercy Theatre, 127 East 23rd Street
From $71.55
Cowboy Bebop LIVE is a complete multimedia experience highlighting the story of critically acclaimed anime, Cowboy Bebop, on the big screen accompanied by live music from the soundtrack performed by the Bebop Bounty Big Band. This 14-piece jazz ensemble features world-class musicians with members from the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center, and the Walt Disney Company. This show is a completely one-of-a-kind production specifically designed to deliver an experience anime fans have never had before. Travel the solar system with anime’s most iconic soundtrack at Cowboy Bebop LIVE!
Read MoreJob: Sales & Research Assistant – RESOBOX (New York, NY, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Youth and Outreach Program Coordinator
Posted by: RESOBOX
Location: New York, NY, USA
Contract: Part-Time
Thanks to RESOBOX for passing along the following job opening.
RESOBOX, a company that supports the global expansion of Japanese products (including food and crafts) and manages cultural classes, is seeking a Sales & Research Assistant. The role involves supporting sales activities, conducting research related to Japanese products, and assisting in the operations of our East Village location.
Key Responsibilities:
• Conduct sales activities for Japanese products
• Perform market research related to Japanese products
• Assist in the Japanese cultural events and classes of the East Village store
Application Process: Send your resume to Takashi Ikezawa <takashi@resobox.com>
Job: Youth and Outreach Program Coordinator – Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (Delray Beach, FL, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Youth and Outreach Program Coordinator
Posted by: Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Location: Delray Beach, FL, USA
Contract: Full Time
Thanks to Wendy Lo (Toyama, 2002-2005) for passing along the following job opening.
The Youth and Outreach Program Coordinator will be responsible for the creation and implementation of educational programming for children (K-12) activities and off-site outreach programs (children and adults). This includes children’s activities at our annual festivals, special events, teacher development workshops, Family Fun Days, and our MORY and Summer Tour Plus programs. The position requires a creative, dynamic and hands-on individual. The person must be able to work weekends and evening events.
Position Reports to:
Curator of Education
Specific Responsibilities and Duties:
- Create and implement museum educational programs for children and families.
- Coordinate and implement all necessary aspects of programs to ensure success and efficiency (pre-, day-of, and post-program) of set-up and breakdown.
- Develop, implement, and manage outreach programs for both students and adults.
- Develop, create, and coordinate children’s (K-12) activities at our annual festivals and special event days, including the supervision of volunteers and managing setup and cleanup.
- Develop, implement, and oversee the Summer Tour Plus (STP) program activities.
2024 Japan Writers Conference to feature at least four JET alums
Posted by Tom Baker
The lineup of presenters for the 18th annual Japan Writers Conference has just been announced. Over the first weekend in November, there will be 29 sessions on writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, plus writing career and marketing advice.
At least four sessions will be led by former JETs. Poet Warren Decker will lead a workshop on haiku and other short verse. Novelist Charles Kowalski will present “The Time Traveler’s Guidebook: Tips and Traps in Historical Fiction Writing.” Novelist Suzanne Kamata will give a talk on “Writing for Emerging Readers.” And a motivational session titled “Not an Impossible Dream” will be presented by travel writer Patrick Murphrey.
As always, the Japan Writers Conference is a free event. This year’s venue is in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, meaning that JWC attendees will have a chance to learn about the ongoing recovery of this disaster-affected area.
For more details, visit the official JWC website, or read about the conference in this story from AJET Connect magazine last year.
Job: English Japanese bilingual Interpreter/Assistant -Japanese Construction Company (Manhattan Beach, CA, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: English Japanese bilingual Interpreter/Assistant
Posted by: Japanese Construction Company
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA, USA
Contract: Full Time
Thanks to A Japanese Construction Company in Manhattan Beach, CA for passing along the following job opening.
The right candidate will help various departments smoothen communications between English & Japanese staff.
Proficient Japanese & English skills are required and prior experience as an interpreter or assistant is desirable, but not necessarily required, so JET’s with N2 level of Japanese or higher and willing to learn about real estate are encouraged to apply.
Other duties for this position include the following:
- Assist in translation of a variety of documents, emails, etc.
- Provide Administrative support to the team such as scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements and organizing files.
- Handling incoming calls from customers both in English & Japanese
- Other tasks as needed.
JQ Magazine: Concert Review – This Is Your Brain on YOASOBI
Story and photos 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.
Yesterday (Aug. 6), gloomy skies gave way to a candy-colored world inside Radio City Music Hall as J-pop sensation YOASOBI made their New York debut with a sold out performance at Radio City Music Hall just days after appearing at Lollapalooza in Chicago. As the packed crowd settled in to the intro music of “I Bet My Life” by Imagine Dragons, composer Ayase, vocalist ikura and their tight four piece band took the stage and would not let go for the next 90 minutes.
On a massive horizontal high def screen behind them, a CGI storybook opened to whimsical music and purple spotlights launching into a full light show, bringing an arena-ready feel to the nearly 6,000 in attendance.
“We are YOASOBI from Japan!” proclaimed ikura, as the group unveiled their opening statement of “UNDEAD” (their latest song, appearing in anime MONOGATARI Series OFF & MONSTER Season) and “Shukufuku.” “We came ready to rock the stage. Are you ready to sing? Are you ready to dance?”
The crowd certainly was, as the tune “Seventeen” featured slap bass, dazzling projections and countless green lasers that beamed all the way to the ceiling. “Halcyon” received thunderous applause, with this upbeat ballad spiked with acoustic guitars and a disco chorus giving way to “Suki Da.” “Okay everybody, let’s rock together!,” commanded ikura, prompting synchronized handclaps by the crowd to some very animated lyrics onscreen.
“For the next song, I want to see a sense of unity, so everyone light up your phones.” This introduction to “Tabun” did just that, with the entire crowd up on their feed and swaying their arms in unison, phones aglow.
Read MoreJob: Japanese-English Bilingual Project Coordinator – Japanese Manufacturing Company (Surprise, AZ, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Japanese-English Bilingual Project Coordinator
Posted by: Japanese Manufacturing Company
Location: Surprise, AZ, USA
Contract: Full Time
Thanks to A Japanese Manufacturing Company in Surprise, AZ for passing along the following job opening.
Job Description: As a Coordinator, the right candidate would promote the corporate image by representing the President internally and externally; serve as liaison between the President, key executives, employees and outside vendors, while providing overall administrative support critical for the effective and efficient functioning of the President’s office.
Appealing Points:
- This is a great opportunity to start your career back in the US in a very promising position as a translator/interpreter and keep your language skills sharp while developing other administrative and business-related skills.
- After the candidate is hired and has become accustomed to work, the company is looking to send the candidate to HQ in Japan for training and come back in order to further promote the brand in the future.
- The company provides good benefits as well.
Job: Boarding Assistant – Japanese Educational Organization (Westchester, NY, USA)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Boarding Assistant
Posted by: Japanese Educational Organization
Location: Westchester, NY, USA
Contract: Full Time
Thanks to Japanese Educational Organization in Westchester, NY for passing along the following job opening.
Job Description: As a boarding assistant, you would be responsible for providing a safe environment for students to live within the hall, assist in taking care of different kinds of forms and paperwork submitted by the student’s parents as well as answering questions from concerned parents.
Other duties for this position include assisting and supporting staff with extracurricular activities, organizing fun events and even teaching 1-2 ILS per week in the Academic Extension Program.
Appealing points:
- This position comes with amazing perks such as a great amount of vacation time. For example, while students are on summer or winter vacation, you are not required to be around school grounds.
- Another great point this position offers is that they would provide you with both housing, utilities and meals, so there is no need to rent an apartment or even worry about cooking while school is in session.
- This is a great work environment where you would be around students, so if you have any interest in being a role model for a younger generation of students while providing them with support during their stay in the board house, this could be a great fit for you!
- Having previous teaching experience is a big plus!! Also, Japanese is not needed, however speaking it would be a plus as well!!
- JET Alumni would be a great fit for this job, so we encourage them to apply for this position.
Application Process: If interested, please send an email with a copy of your resume to carlos@919usa.com.
JET Alum Writers: Joe Palermo publishes a new book
JET alum Joe Palermo (actually a trailblazing MEF) has released a new book of 38 stories, segmented into Childhood, Adulthood, and A Slice of Japan. The work is entitled “Who Killed My Sea Monkeys? And Other Tales of Life.”
The book is described as follows:
The world, through Joe Palermo’s eyes, is always an exciting place. His conversational writing style makes you feel as if he is regaling you with his adventures over a beer or cup of coffee. Whether writing about Smokey the Bear as his childhood therapist, the demise of his Sea Monkeys, living in Japan, or more recent events like losing his wife to a Korean boy band, you’ll feel as if you’ve experienced it yourself.
The back cover endorsement is by New York Times bestselling author Bob Greene, author of Late Edition: A Love Story.
From Bob:
Joe Palermo is a fellow with a delightful ability to bring warmth and good feelings straight from his childhood recollections, and from his current-day observations, onto the printed page. He’ll make you smile and remember.
Who Killed My Sea Monkeys? And Other Tales of Life is currently available in Kindle, paperback and hardcover formats on Amazon.