WIT Life #219: Yakusho Koji’s newest flick
Film, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers 
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WIT Life 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.
I’m currently in Japan on an interpreting assignment, and am loving eating washoku and getting my fill of Japanese tv on a daily basis. I’m also happy to be able to catch up on Japanese pop culture while I’m here, and I recently caught a Yakusho Koji movie out in theaters now. I’ve written about how much I enjoy Yakusho’s work as well as having the chance to meet the man himself, and his latest film did not disappoint.
Masayuki Suo of “Shall We Dance” fame is the director of 「終の信託」 (Tsui no Shintaku, or “Trust in the End”), which reunites the two stars of that movie. Yakusho appears alongside Tamiyo Kusakari, who played his dance instructor in the former film, and they are pictured here along with Suo. (The fabulous supporting cast includes Tadanobu Asano as Orii’s vile lover and Takao Ozawa as the intimidating prosecutor).
Their collaboration 16 years later was worth the wait. Yakusho plays chronic asthma patient Egi who is assigned to Kusakari’s internist Orii at the hospital where he receives periodic treatment. Over time his attacks get worse and his visits become more frequent, and he begins to rethink the value of treatment considering the costs and Read More
JET Alum Artist Beat: LeJarie Noguchi, Artist’s Representative at ARTas1
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******** JET Alum Artist Beat is a new feature organized by Jessica Sattell (Fukuoka-ken, 2007-2008) intending to share the wide scope of creative work that JET alumni are pursuing as artists, designers, and/or craftspeople, either professionally or for personal enjoyment. She is interested in interviewing and providing exposure for artists and arts professionals, and welcomes links to online portfolios, stores and businesses. Feel free to email Jessica at hello (dot) jessicasattell (at) gmail (dot) com with suggestions.
How do artists get their work into world-renowned galleries? How do companies find ways to visually enhance their brand images? How do publishers find illustrators for manuscripts and cover art? The answers are all rooted in the diverse fields of arts marketing and artist representation! LeJarie (Battieste) Noguchi (Aichi-ken, 1995-1998) is an Artist’s Representative at ARTas1, a Torrance, California-based company that helps bring the visions of dynamic Japanese visual artists to North America through licensing channels and gallery exhibitions. ARTas1 positions itself as a unique firm in that it represents and promotes exclusively Japanese artists. Their goal is to bridge the Japanese and the worldwide art communities into a shared celebration of creative talent, hence the “1” in their title.
A small sample of ARTas1’s artists and the variety of their styles
LeJarie brings her experiences as a reporter, writer, translator, and Japanese media consultant to her position, where she represents over 70 unique artists working in a wide variety of mediums and styles. She graciously took the time to share a little more about her profession as well as the work of one of her favorite up-and-coming artists.
Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you become interested in Japan and choose to participate in the JET Program?
I majored in Japanese Studies at UCLA, and when I first began my studies, I had never heard of the JET Program. Originally, I thought I would just go to Japan and find a job or continue my studies there. But, when I heard about the opportunity to live and work in Japan through JET, I was determined to go. Thankfully, I was accepted. I didn’t really have a Plan B, but I do remember asking all of my family members for enough money for a one-way ticket to Tokyo if I didn’t get accepted to the JET Program!
How did you become involved with ARTas1?
I saw a job listing there about six years ago and contacted them about the position. At that time I didn’t have any direct sales experience and wasn’t involved much with Japanese art. But then I happened to see another listing with them about two years ago, contacted them, and they hired me! By then I had a bit more sales experience and more experience with art and media.
What does an Artist’s Representative do?
As an Artists’ Representative, Read More
Regge Life documentary about Taylor Anderson and Monty Dickson to premiere 11/9 in DC area
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Via JETAA DC President Leigh Ann Mastrini (Hyogo-ken, 2006-08):
On November 9th will be the premiere of Regge Life’s documentary film about March 11, Taylor Anderson, and Monty Dickson. Click the link below for more information:
http://www.kickstarter.com/
The film is open to the community, with a suggested donation of $20 when you register. A small group of JETAA DC alumni will be driving down from DC between 2PM – 3PM.
Job: Asian Arts Museum – HR Coordinator (SF)
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Via Philanthropy News Digest. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Human Resources Coordinator
Posted by: The Asian Art Museum
Type: N/A
Location: San Francisco, CA
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview
The Asian Art Museum offers an exciting opportunity for a skilled and motivated individual to gain hands-on human resources experience in a dynamic San Francisco Museum.
The Human Resources Coordinator assists in the administration of a comprehensive and dynamic human resources program for the museum. The Coordinator performs a broad range of administrative and paraprofessional duties related to recruitment and selection, classification, compensation, wellness, benefits, training, and employee relations. The focus of the position is on the coordination of the daily ongoing operations of the Human Resources department. The museum’s complex work environment encompasses both private- and public-sector employees, and seven labor organizations. The nature of the position requires maximum flexibility, resourcefulness, initiative, and creativity.
Examples of Duties
•Coordinates the daily operations of the Human Resources department; maintains all departmental files and records; performs a variety of support duties; responds to inquiries from staff and the public.
•Assists in the management of the personnel administration for public sector employees of the museum; processes hiring, compensation, and other personnel materials for employees of the City and County of San Francisco.
•Manages computerized HR information system (ABRA) for personnel and benefits information; develops improvements to system as necessary; processes personnel transactions; coordinates personnel action requests with payroll; prepares a variety of reports.
•Working closely with the Benefits Manager, assists in benefits administration and management.
•Manages the recruitment mailing list and database; researches and compiles new recruitment sources on a continuous basis to insure maximum outreach; prepares and mails job announcements; places online job advertisements.
•Assists with the interviewing process including scheduling interviews, arranging interview panels, preparing interview materials, and conducting applicant testing; conducts phone screens, interviews and checks references as required; assists with orientation of new employees.
•Plans, organizes, and implements a variety of staff wellness events; oversees the provision of refreshments for monthly staff meetings; plans, purchases, and sets up required food and beverages. Read More
Job: AFS-USA – Director of Outbound Sponsored Programs (DC)
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Via Philanthropy News Digest. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Director of Outbound Sponsored Programs
Posted by: AFS-USA
Type: N/A
Location: New York, New York
Salary: Will be negotiated at the time of hire
Start Date: N/A
Overview
The Director of Outbound Sponsored Programs will develop and implement programming under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State and other funders and funding sources. The Director of Outbound Sponsored Programs collaborates closely with the Director of Inbound Sponsored Programs and the Project Manager and Vice President of Sponsored Programs to foster a team environment across the Sponsored Programs Division. The Director of Outbound Sponsored Programs must work both interdepartmentally and with other organizations, both within the AFS network and outside the AFS network, as well as the US State Department and other funders, to ensure that the programs are successfully implemented. Incumbent directly supervises a staff of two, including two Program Specialists and others as projects require. The Director of Outbound Sponsored Programs reports directly to the Vice President of Sponsored Programs. Read More
Job: Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Nikkei Concerns (Seattle, WA)
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Via JETAA PNW. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Posted by: Nikkei Concerns
Type: N/A
Location: WA
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview
Nikkei Concerns (NC), a non-profit elder-care organization primarily serving the Japanese-American and broader Asian communities in the Pacific Northwest, is seeking qualified applicants for a Chief Operations Officer (COO). The COO’s primary responsibilities include providing leadership and growing operational and organizational aspects of NC that includes Seattle Keiro Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, Nikkei Manor Assisted Living Community, Kokoro Kai Adult Day Social Program and Nikkei Horizons Continuing Education Program. The ideal candidate will have solid management experience and demonstrate an ability to lead, innovate, motivate, and execute with a passion for and sensitivity to enhancing the quality of life of our residents, participants, staff and community. Familiarity with elder health care policy and services is desired. Please visit www.nikkeiconcerns.org for the full job description. Interested qualified individuals should email their resume and cover letter to rtakeuchi@nikkeiconcerns.org (Rick Takeuchi, Human Resources Director, 206-726-6506). First considerations will be given to resumes/cover letters received by 5:00 pm, Friday, November 9, 2012.
Via JETAA DC. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Two positions available: Publicity Coordinator and Webmaster Director
Posted by: JICC
Type: N/A
Location: Washington DC
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview
The JICC is a part of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of Japan, with a goal to promote better understanding of Japan and Japanese culture by providing a wide range of information and events to the American public.
The Publicity Coordinator is responsible for promoting various Japan-related events to the public and media. The Webmaster is in charge of maintaining and managing the JICC website and social media. These positions also entail other duties. For further details, please refer to the following Employment Opportunities page of the JICC website. Please be advised to follow the instructions carefully.
http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/JICC/employment.html
Job: Director for Japan Affairs at USTR
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Thanks to JET Alum Daniel Lee who is leaving this position soon for a different post at the USTR. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Director for Japan Affairs
Posted by: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
Type: Full-time
Location: Washington DC
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview
Under the direction of the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (AUSTR) for Japan, Korea & APEC Affairs, the incumbent serves as the Director for Japan Affairs.
The incumbent performs a variety of duties related to the development, coordination and execution of U.S.- Japan trade policy. The incumbent leads U.S. trade negotiations with Japanese counterpart agencies, develops U.S. positions in advance of these negotiations, supports relevant Trade Policy Sub-Committees to reach interagency agreements on policy positions, determines the most appropriate negotiating strategies and tactics, researches and analyses all background material for these negotiations, and advises the AUSTR, the Deputy USTR, and the USTR on trade policy issues with Japan. The incumbent prepares Congressional testimony, briefing materials, summary statements and speeches for the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), both Deputy USTRs, the AUSTR for Japan, Korea, & APEC Affairs, and other senior executives, as appropriate, on major trade issues. Explains and defends the Administration’s trade policies to foreign governments, the public, the press, and the Congress.
Ability to speak Japanese desirable, but not mandatory. Domestic and foreign travel will be required.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/330491500
Job: Bi-lingual Accountant (Atlanta)
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Thanks to JET Alum Jessica Kennett Cork for sharing this opening. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Bilingual Accountant
Posted by: Accountants One, Inc.
Type: Full-time
Location: Atlanta, GA
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Overview
Accountants One has been hired to recruit a bi-lingual Japanese speaking Senior Accountant for their team. The ideal candidate will 5+ years experience in a manufacturing environment as a senior accountant.
Job Duties
– Process financial statements and analysis
– Report and present financial statements and analysis to CFO and Japanese parent company
– Help process books for the plant
– Process budget vs. actual sales units
– Create power point presentations to communicate financial analysis to CFO and Japanese parent company
– Speak and read Japanese and English fluently
– Financial reporting and analysis – Profit and Loss Variances Read More
JETAA Chicago Career Development Workshop – November 10, 2012
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Via JETAA Chicago. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Event Information
On Saturday, November 10, JETAA Chicago will host a Career Development Workshop. This event will be held at the Japan Information Center (737 North Michigan Ave., Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60611), starting at 2:30 PM.
We are lining up speakers now to talk about a range of topics, including: resume writing and explaining the value of the JET experience; job search and networking; and how to successfully interview. The workshop will conclude with a wine & cheese networking session. Our goal is to provide an extremely valuable event for all who attend.
Wine and cheese networking reception to follow.
More details to be announced soon. Questions? Contact Dan Martin at social@jetaachicago.com Read More
Job: Japan Baseball Administration Intern Spring 2012
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Via JETAA Chicago. Posted by Kay Monroe (Miyazaki-shi, 1995 -97). Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
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Position: Japan Baseball Administration Intern Spring 2012
Posted by: Octagon
Type: Internship (part-time or full-time)
Location: Chicago, IL
Salary: N/A
Start Date: N/A
Qualifications
Octagon is the world’s largest sponsorship consulting practice and a pioneer and leader in athlete and personality representation and management. With more than 800 employees globally, Octagon manages/influences billions in worldwide sponsorship rights fees and activation. We work with hundreds of blue-chip corporate clients, more than 800 Athletes & Personalities clients, and manage more than 5,000 events per year. Leading stakeholders in the sports and entertainment world continue to look to Octagon to provide leadership in understanding fans’ passions and how these insights can build more effective, efficient and measureable marketing programs. For more information, please visit www.octagon.com
About The Internship
The Baseball Internship offers a compelling and insightful look into the sports industry and an introduction to the world of Baseball off the field. Octagon seeks talented and driven undergraduate or graduate students to closely work with members of our successful Baseball Division on a variety of projects and tasks. Throughout the course of the internship, you will provide administrative support to our Asia Baseball division mainly focusing on Japanese baseball. Your duties will include minor translation, processing expense reports (Yen conversion), client services projects for Japan baseball clients, equipment orders and other general office administrative support.
The position is located in our Chicago, IL office and is a part-time or full-time position during the Spring Semester. Ideally, we would like you to start in January and work at least 25 hours per week. In order to be considered for this unpaid internship, you must be able to receive school credit and provide proof of credit. Read More
Click image to read story
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.
The opening of playwright Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths begins with the famous United States Declaration of Independence quote that all men are created equal, followed by the Japanese proverb “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” The one hammered down is Gordon Kioyoshi Hirabayashi, the late American pacifist and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree whose experiences in World War II-era America are brought vividly to life by Joel de la Fuente in this one-man show now running Off-Broadway.
“From the day rehearsing began for our premiere in November 2007, we’ve been working to make Hold These Truths a better play, and that hasn’t stopped with our New York premiere,” said Sakata, who shaped it through extensive interviews with Hirabayashi. The play has received positive reviews from The New Yorker and the Associated Press, and has brought wider attention to a traumatic time in American history.
Born in Seattle in 1918, Hirabayashi was imprisoned in 1942 for protesting wartime curfews. He lost a U.S. Supreme Court case the following year, but the verdict was later overturned in the 1980s, triggering an apology and reparations to the families of the more than 100,000 people interned in the western United States during the war.
Hold These Truths runs through Nov. 25 at the Theater at the 14th Street Y. For more information, visit http://epictheatreensemble.org/holdthesetruths.
JQ Magazine: 2012 JETAA National Conference in San Francisco Recap
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JETAA USA delegates at the residence of Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, Oct. 26, 2012.
By Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09) for JQ magazine. Pam is Secretary of the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY) and a participant at this year’s National Conference.
Thursday, Oct. 25
Hosted by the JETAA Northern California (JETAANC) chapter, the conference kicked off with a “reception” at Off the Grid, a collection of gourmet food trucks inspired by Asian night markets and conceived and run by JET alum Matt Cohen (Saga-ken, 2001-04).
Friday, Oct. 26
The delegates from 18 of the 19 JETAA USA chapters received a welcome from JETAANC President John Dzida, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco Hiroshi Inomata, and Takaaki Ogata from CLAIR New York. Noriko Watanabe from the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. gave a touching personal farewell from Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, who attended the past two JETAA National Conferences and will be leaving his post this year. Workshops topics included sister city-JETAA cooperation; databases and approaches for chapter membership management; and the utilization of Google apps and websites to publicize programs. There was also an update on the National 3/11 Relief Fund, which raised nearly $90,000 from all 19 chapters for Tohoku recovery efforts. The evening ended with a reception at the Consul General’s Residence and continued networking at Local Edition in the Financial District.
Saturday, Oct. 27
The Country Representatives discussed their visions for JETAA in the coming year and introduced the newly formed JETAA USA Advisory Board, which consists of four seasoned JET alums who will provide guidance to all national and regional leadership. It includes James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) and Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) of JETAANY; Ryan Hart (Chiba-ken, 1998-99) of Pacific Northwest JETAA; and Jessyca Livingston (Hokkaido, 2003-06) of Rocky Mountain JETAA. Other workshops discussed organizing chapter finances; a JETAANC-run high school scholarship program; facilitating cultural exchange through continuing Japanese traditions such as kabuki; and a panel with members of the Northern California community, including JET alums Ken Wakamatsu (Hiroshima-ken, 1996-1998) at Salesforce and Ryan Kimura (Shizuoka-ken, 2004-06) of JCCC Northern California (and the owner of a purikura shop in San Francisco’s Japantown!). The panel discussed how JETAA chapters can form relationships and collaborate with community groups to engage members. The delegates finished the night with a CLAIR reception at Yoshi’s San Francisco and a cable car sightseeing tour.
Justin’s Japan: Interview with ‘Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics’ author Frederik L. Schodt
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“I grew up overseas in several different countries, and I’ve always enjoyed different cultures. And for me, that was exactly the way Japan appeared: it was always interesting, and it still is always interesting. There’s always things to learn.” (Courtesy of Stone Bridge Press)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Frederik L. Schodt first traveled to Japan in 1965 as a teenager, and since the early ’80s he has written numerous books about Japanese culture both popular and obscure, including the landmark Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, the first substantial English-language work on the art form. Schodt also has translated a wealth of books and manga series (many by his late friend, the “god of comics” Osamu Tezuka), and in 2009 he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contribution to the introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture.
Out Nov. 13 is his newest book, Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe, the true story of “Professor” Richard Risley Carlisle, an American who introduced the Western circus to Japan in 1864, and in turn gave many Americans their first glimpse of the East when he took his “Imperial Japanese Troupe” of acrobats and jugglers on a triumphant tour of North America and Europe, stirring a fascination with all things Japanese that, Schodt says, eventually led to today’s boom in manga and anime.
In part one of this exclusive, wide-ranging interview, I spoke with Schodt about his fascination with the late 19th century, his relationship with contemporary pop culture icons like George Lucas, and the story behind his middle initial, which is colorfully connected to the events of the film Argo.
It’s been more than five years since the release of your last book, The Astro Boy Essays. What else have you been up to since then?
I’ve actually gone through this and done some rough calculations, but it seems to take me about five years between books. I’ve been doing this same sort of thing that I always do, which is a mix of writing books and translating and then also working as a conference interpreter. For different periods, the weight and the ratio changes, but the mix is pretty much the same. And I’ve been working on the book of Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe, I guess, for the last two or three years doing research. But it’s been a lot of fun, I have to say—it’s been one of the most fun books I’ve worked on in a long time.
What are some developments in manga/anime/Japanese pop culture in the U.S. that you feel has moved in a positive direction? At the same time, what things are you a bit critical of in the way they were handled?
I think it’s wonderful that a popular culture from another country such as Japan developed such a large fanbase in the United States, and that was a real surprise to me. I always hoped that people would take more notice in Japanese manga and anime, because I thought they were such an interesting manifestation of popular culture that had been long overlooked in the United States. But I never imagined that both of those entertainment media would become so big and so entrenched in the United States in terms of the fanbase, so that’s been wonderful to see.
It seems like the biggest development in recent years has been the cosplay phenomenon—that’s become a real part of the lingo here now.
That’s right. And I think cosplay in the United States is a little different, and in fact I think the whole fandom in the United States has assumed sort of American characteristics, so it’s developing on its own in new directions, and it’s kind of wonderful to see. I go to some of the larger cons every once in a while, and I really enjoy seeing how young people are interpreting this cultural phenomenon developed in Japan, although I have to say that cosplay is really indirectly inspired by the masquerades and the costume competitions that started in the United States in the sci-fi comic book community. So it’s very interesting. It’s this sort of cultural interchange that I’ve always been fascinated by where you have these two countries that are kind of reflecting each other and sending influences back and forth to each other, and interpreting a phenomenon in slightly different ways.
For the complete interview, click here.
JQ Magazine: Theatre Review – ‘Hold These Truths’
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“This amazing life story spanning six decades manages to be compressed by playwright Jeanne Sakata into a dense 90-minute performance that both educates and entertains.” (Photo of Joel de la Fuente by Steven Boling)
A nail that stuck out but resisted being hammered down
By Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) for JQ magazine. Stacy is a professional writer/interpreter/translator. She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observation in the periodic series WITLife.
The intimacy of a stage surrounded by several rows of semicircle seating at the 14th Street Y is the perfect venue for the new play Hold These Truths. This work depicts the life of Nisei (second generation) Japanese American Gordon Hirabayashi, who took it upon himself to defy Executive Order 9066, which led to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans and their families in internment camps during World War II. It is a one-man show starring Joel de la Fuente, who spellbinds the audience with his ease in slipping back and forth between Hirabayashi and the other characters he portrays. The viewer’s proximity to the performer heightens the emotional depths of Hirabayashi’s often troubling, often inspiring tale of belonging and identity.
The play begins by highlighting the Japanese phrase “deru kugi wa utareru,” or “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down,” which Hirabayashi’s parents instill in him when he is young. He internalizes this belief, but at the same time he is aware of actions that seem to go against it, such as his mom taking a case to court when her land rights are violated. He describes a peaceful childhood in Seattle where he plays with other Japanese American friends and attends picnics where their mothers bring food like “onigiri, chicken teriyaki and banana cream pie.” Raised as a Christian, Hirayabashi becomes a religious pacifist when he enters the University of Washington.
Here he stays in an international dorm and meets his first non-Japanese friends, such as his roommate and close friend Howie and his future wife Esther. He becomes involved with the YMCA as campus vice president and tries to get a job with them at the front desk, but ironically is turned down because of his race. When an 8 p.m. curfew is later put in place for the Japanese, Hirabayashi initially complies but then runs back to join his friends studying in the library. This small act of bravery is emblematic of the much bolder resistance that Hirabayashi will show going forward.
