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.

The Japan-centric events of the month ahead promise to be as rich and full as autumn itself—brisk and colorful, with a dash of unpredictability.

This month’s highlights include:

Oct. 30-31, Nov. 1-2

Spirited Away

Various locations/prices

The final film selected for this year’s Studio Ghibli Fest! Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Hayao Miyazaki’s wondrous fantasy adventure is a dazzling masterpiece from one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animation. Chihiro’s family is moving to a new house, but when they stop on the way to explore an abandoned village, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastical spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. Overflowing with imaginative creatures and thrilling storytelling, Spirited Away became a beloved hit worldwide, and is one the most critically acclaimed films of all time. The October 30 and November 1 screenings are dubbed in English, and the October 31 and November 2 screenings are presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Opens Nov. 3

One Piece Film: Red

Various locations; for Village East by Angelika Screenings, click here

$8-$16

The spotlight shines on the 15th feature film of Eiichiro Oda’s enduring manga and anime smash, which is a massive box office hit (already in the top 10 highest grossing films released in Japan since its debut last August)! Luffy and his crew are about to attend an eagerly awaited music festival. The most popular singer in the world, Uta, will take the stage for the first time. The one who is none other than the daughter of the legendary pirate Shanks Le Roux will reveal the exceptional power of her voice which could well change the world… Presented in both Japanese with English subtitles and English dubbed options.

Thursday, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m.

Behind-the-Scenes of My Neighbour Totoro

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$20, $16 members

Puppet artist extraordinaire Basil Twist sits down to talk about his creative role in Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s staging of the beloved Studio Ghibli animated feature film My Neighbour Totoro in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV. Twist is known for surprising audiences with his infinite creativity, from 88 magical Japanese screen doors (Dogugaeshi) and dancing fabrics in an onstage water tank (Symphonie Fantastique) to a gigantic rock creature in his most recent work (Book of Mountains & Seas). In this event, Twist will share backstage images and describe the process of creating real-life versions of the film’s fantastical creatures for the live staging of Totoro at London’s Barbican this fall. A special 35mm presentation of the original film will be screened at Japan Society on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7:00 p.m.; click here for tickets.

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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.

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Position: Marketing Coordinator and Special Projects
Posted by: Nichi Bei Foundation
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Contract: Full-time

Here’s a job received directly from the organization:

HOURS: 32 hours per week; must be available some evenings and weekends for events and meetings

LOCATION: On-site, 1832 Buchanan Street, Suite 207, San Francisco Japantown

COMPENSATION: Commensurate with experience, includes health, dental, vision and 401(k) plan after probationary period.

WHO WE ARE: The Nichi Bei Foundation is an innovative educational and charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the Japanese American community connected, informed and empowered – primarily through a community newspaper (Nichi Bei Weekly) and Website (www.nichibei.org) as well as educational programming. Publications include:

• Nichi Bei Weekly (Japanese American community newspaper)
• Nichibei.org
• San Francisco Japantown Map and Directory
• Japanese American Community Resource Guide (www.nichibei.org/community-resource-guide)

Educational programming includes:

• Films of Remembrance, a showcase of films on the Japanese American wartime incarceration (www.filmsofremembrance.org)
• Nikkei Angel Island Pilgrimage, to the site of the former Immigration Station (www.nichibei.org/angel-island-pilgrimage)
• Wakamatsu Pilgrimage, to the site of the first large settlement of Japanese in America (www.nichibei.org/wakamatsu-pilgrimage)
• Atomic Bomb Commemoration (www.nichibei.org/virtual-remembrance)

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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.

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Position: Assistant Correspondent
Posted by: Kyodo News America, Inc.
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Contract: Full-time

Here’s a job received directly from the organization:

Kyodo News America, Inc.’s Assistant Correspondent -Kyodo News America, Inc. (KNA) is a subsidiary of Kyodo News, which is the largest Japanese news wire with an international presence and an Asian audience. We are seeking a person with a strong interest in a career in journalism. We are offering an entry-level working experience to assist correspondents of our Los Angeles Bureau to cover events in the US of interest to our audience.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• Researching and conducting interviews on topics ranging from US and International politics, social affairs, and the entertainment industry.
• Managing relations with news sources to help correspondents who speak English as a second language.
• Arranging interviews with city/state officials and experts for correspondents. Occasionally conducting interviews by him/herself.
• As a secondary task, we encourage our assistants to write their own news stories in English which are distributed globally through our foreign language news service.

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Current JETs from the US are encouraged to apply for small grants–typically $200-$1,000–from USJETAA Microgrant Initiative to undertake projects that introduce American culture or English-language teaching to their classrooms and communities.

Learn more at the USJETAA info session (Wed 11/2, 8-9 pm Japan Time)

About the Initiative

US Embassy Tokyo and USJETAA annually provide small grants–typically US$200~$1,000–to current JET program participants to support projects that introduce American culture and/or the English language to their classrooms or community. Funding applicants should fill out the online grant application as well as a simple budget that explains how they wish to use the funds by the November 15 application deadline.

Eligibility

• Applicants for funding must be US citizens.
• Applicants must be current JET Program participants
• Project activities start after January 10, 2023, & are completed within 13 months

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Diplomatic Assistant
Posted by: Embassy of Japan
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-time

Here’s a job received directly from the Embassy of Japan in Washington DC:

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.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please follow this link – https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/job-political-assistant.html.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Policy and Communications Coordinator
Posted by: Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA, USA
Contract: Full-time

Thanks to JET alumna, Jennifer Hwang (Shizuoka-ken, 2008-2012) for sharing the following opening on her team:

Application Process: My office is looking to hire a Policy and Communications Coordinator. Please share with your networks or apply here: https://careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/policy-and-communications-coordinator-19197

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Processing Staff
Posted by: The JET Program Office
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-time; Temporary

Here’s a temporary job received directly from the Embassy of Japan:
The JET Program Office at the Embassy of Japan is seeking Processing Staff for the 2023 JET Application processing season. Processing staff will have the opportunity to learn more about the JET Program from an administrative perspective.

This is a temporary position from November 1 to December 20, 2022. The position is in-person based out of the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. The end date is subject to change.

Application: For more information and to apply, please click here – https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/2023-Processing-Staff-Announcement.pdf

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Legal File Clerk
Posted by: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Location: Chevy Chase, MD, USA
Contract: Full-time

Thanks to JET alumna, Caitlyn Tateishi (Fukuoka-Ken, 2008-2011) for passing a long the attached job opening where she currently works.

HHMI is focused on supporting and moving science forward in a variety of different ways ranging from conducting basic biomedical research, empowering educators, inspiring students, developing the next generation of scientists – even stretching into film and media production.

Our Headquarters is in the greater Washington, DC metro area and is home to over 300 employees with expertise in investments, communications, digital production, biomedical sciences, and everything in between. The work housed here supports and augments the groundbreaking research conducted in HHMI labs across the nation. As HHMI scientists continue to push boundaries in laboratories and classrooms, you can be sure that your contributions while working here are making a difference.

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Posted by Tom Baker

JET alum and prolific author and editor of fiction and nonfiction Suzanne Kamata will host a panel discussion on how the pandemic has changed the writing life and the publishing world at this year’s Japan Writers Conference. The conference, which is free, will take place in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Oct. 15-16, but participants must sign up by Oct. 8.

Here’s the official description of her panel’s presentation:

Suzanne Kamata
Clara Kiyoko Kumagai, Kristin Osani, Clarissa Goenawan, Sara Fujimura
Pivot: Writing for a Post-Pandemic World
Panel Discussion
Fiction

How do you keep going when the world, the publishing landscape, and YOU have had major paradigm shifts since 2020? Multi-published authors Sara Fujimura, Clarissa Goenawan, Suzanne Kamata, Clara Kiyoko Kumagai, and Kristin Osani discuss the limitations and growth opportunities that come with this new post-pandemic reality.

Are you waiting for the publishing world to “go back to normal?” The bad news: It’s not. Supply chain woes, soaring material costs, editorial burnout, and continued unrest in the world have made traditional publishing harder to break into and even harder to sustain a career. Savvy authors pivot. Five multi-published, award-winning, globally-minded authors give a state-of-the-industry report from their region of the world. They identify specific challenges they’ve had in the last two years, including launching new books during a pandemic (One out of 10 stars. Highly DON’T recommend!). They also offer tips and techniques on how to keep your writing career rolling when it seems the world is constantly conspiring against you.

American Suzanne Kamata has lived in Shikoku for over 30 years. During the pandemic, she published an award-winning middle grade novel, Pop Flies, Robo-pets and Other Disasters; The Baseball Widow, a novel for adults, and Waiting, her poetry debut. She is an associate professor at Naruto University of Education.

Clarissa Goenawan (she/her) is an Indonesian-born Singaporean writer and translator. Her award-winning short stories have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies in Singapore, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Italy, the UK, and the US. Rainbirds, her debut novel, has been published in eleven different languages. Her second novel, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, came out in 2020. Watersong is her third novel.

Kristin Osani (she/her) is a queer fantasy writer who lives in Kyoto, where she works as a freelance Japanese-to-English video game translator when she’s not wordsmithing, working on nerdy cross-stitching, or cuddling her two cats (three if you include her husband). She has translated games like The Kids We Were, Voice of Cards, and Triangle Strategy. Her original fiction has appeared in FlashPoint SF, the Arcanist, and Ghost Orchid Press’s Beyond the Veil: Supernatural Tales of Queer Love anthology.

Clara Kumagai is from Ireland, Canada and Japan. Her fiction and nonfiction has appeared in publications such as The Stinging Fly, The Irish Times, Banshee, Room, Cicada, and The Kyoto Journal, among others. Her children’s story, A Girl Named Indigo, was translated and published in Japanese with the title Indigo wo sagashite (Shogakukan, 2020). Her young adult novel, Catfish Rolling, is forthcoming in 2023. She currently lives and works in Tokyo.

Sara Fujimura is a hybrid author of four award-winning young adult books: Tanabata Wish, Breathe, Every Reason We Shouldn’t (Tor Teen), and Faking Reality (Tor Teen). She is represented by Ann Rose of the Prospect Agency. Every Reason We Shouldn’t was named an NPR Best Book of 2020. www.sarafujimura.com

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.

Time flies and hard to believe that we are already at the beginning of fall. For all of you bookworms like myself, as the title says this season is often called 読書の秋 (dokusho no aki or “autumn is for reading)”. Alternatively, for those who love pumpkin spice and everything nice, it is also known as 食欲の秋 (shokuyoku no aki or “season of good appetite”/”fall is for eating”). Other versions include 実りの秋 (minori no aki or “the harvest season”), 芸術の秋 (geijutsu no aki or “best season for enjoying art”), and スポーツの秋 (supo-tsu no aki or “best season for sports”).

Japan had its state funeral for former PM Shinzo Abe this week, with many waiting to offer their condolences and many others offering vociferous protest. His assassination has revealed the deep connections between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, the repercussions of which are yet to be seen. This NYT article from earlier in the month touches on the relationship between the LDP and the church, in the context of Japan’s thriving telegram industry. For a heart-warming read, check out this other NYT article which talks about “baby workers” in Japan’s nursing homes.

On a personal note, I recently interpreted at a Japanese food event called “Taste of Japan in New York” that was held at Carnegie Hall. Many famous chefs attended from Japan, sharing their knowledge and creating one-of-a-kind menus focused on the country’s rich fermentation culture. PM Fumio Kishida was in town for the UN General Assembly and appeared at the end as a surprise guest! In his remarks, he highlighted how next month Japan will loosen its Covid restrictions and once again welcome individual tourists. I’ve tried to get back to Japan twice during the pandemic, so I’m hoping three times is a charm for my visit scheduled for next year!

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 all through Halloween.

This month’s highlights include:

Sept. 25-28

Howl’s Moving Castle

Various locations/prices

The penultimate pick for this year’s Studio Ghibli Fest is an Academy Award-nominated fantasy adventure for the whole family from acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away). Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a curse on Sophie and turns her into a 90-year-old woman. On a quest to break the spell, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent moving castle and into a new life of wonder and adventure. The Sept. 25, 27 and 28th screenings are dubbed in English, and the Sept. 26 screening is presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.

ONE OK ROCK

Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center, 311 West 34th Street

$60-$132.50

Beloved at home in Japan and worldwide, Fueled By Ramen band ONE OK ROCK have released their anxiously awaited new full-length album, Luxury Disease (stream it HERE). Featuring the lead single “Save Yourself” (see the Tanu Muino-directed video on the band’s YouTube channel), additional album highlights include “Let Me Let You Go,” and “Vandalize,” which will serve as the ending theme for SEGA’s upcoming game Sonic Frontiers, releasing on November 8. Produced by Rob Cavallo (Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance), Luxury Diseasefinds ONE OK ROCK embarking on a North American headline tour which will see the group returning to stages in the U.S. and Canada for the first time in over three years.

Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.

MIYAVI

Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street

$30-$100

Celebrating his 20th year in the music industry, MIYAVI embarks on a 20-city tour across the U.S. and Canada. In this intimate venue, the samurai guitarist known for his unconventional style of guitar playing—performing not with a pick, but with his fingers in a method dubbed “slap style”— plans to perform fan-favorite tracks, material from last year’s Imaginary LP, and new music he will be debuting live for the first time!

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Posted by Tom Baker

JET alum and acclaimed poet Michael Frazier, whose work has appeared in the anthology Umoja, will hold a workshop at this year’s Japan Writers Conference.

Here’s the official description of his presentation:

Michael Frazier
O Death, Where is Your Sting?: A Poetics of Hope!
Craft Workshop
Poetry

Turn on the news and it is inevitable to see a news broadcast about someone dying. By a virus, a health condition, a natural disaster, or a twisted mind with a weapon. This generative workshop is a poetics on death and grappling with the fear death induces by unmasking the demon and realizing our hope.

This is a generative workshop for those interested in writing about and through the reality of being ephemeral beings in a world that is posed against our fragile lives. We will read poems anticipating, about, and responding to death. Some poets may include Danez Smith, Safia Elhillo, Li Young Lee, Max Ritvo, Mary Oliver, and others. We will read anti-eulogies, psalms, palindromes, and other poems that resist the inevitable. We will understand how they write around and through the concept of dying, with particular interest in how hope is the hinge of their poetry. We will write our own poems that face our fears.

Michael Frazier is a poet and high school teacher living in Kanazawa, Japan. Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets nominated, his poems appear in Poetry Daily, The Offing, RHINO, Tinderbox, Tokyo Poetry Journal, and elsewhere.

Posted by Tom Baker

JET alum Jillian Marshall, author of “Japanthem,” will delve into the nature of memoir in a presentation at the Japan Writers Conference.

Here’s the official description of her presentation:

Jillian Marshall
Reimagining Memoir: Storytelling as Analytical Inquiry
Short Lecture with Q&A online
Nonfiction

What lies between the traditional boundaries of non-fiction genres? This presentation examines the analytical possibilities of memoir and storytelling. Bookended by presentation and discussion, we will read a chapter from my new book as a case-study in analytical memoir, learning about Japanese music culture in the process.

This hybrid presentation and group reading introduces new approaches to memoir devised during my time in (and departure from) academia. Following with a brief lecture questioning the limits of non-fiction genre — what does the slippage between memoir and ethnography reveal? — we’ll examine analytical memoir by reading a chapter of my new book, Japanthem: Counter-Cultural Experiences, Cross-Cultural Remixes. Originally written as part of my doctoral thesis in Japanese ethnomusicology, the selected chapter and Japanthem on whole posit memoir and storytelling as colloquial sites of anthropological inquiry (in this case, getting subtly bullied by my Buddhist dance teacher in Akita Prefecture). With the Q and A that follows, I ultimately hope to inspire new possibilities in non-fiction writing and bridge not just the intellectual rigor of academia with the public sphere, but cultural (mis)understandings between Japan, the US, and beyond in the process.

Jillian Marshall, PhD, is a writer, educator, and musician who champions public intellectualism. Her first book, Japanthem: Counter-Cultural Experiences, Cross-Cultural Remixes, debuted in April with Three Rooms Press. Jillian’s other writings have been published by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Cornell University Press, and Music Television.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: JET Program Coordinator
Posted by: Embassy of Japan
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-time

Here is a job received directly from the Embassy of Japan:

The JET Program Office at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC is seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented individual for the position of JET Program Coordinator.

Under the supervision of the Public Affairs Section diplomats at the Embassy of Japan in the U.S.A., the Program Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the screening process for applications for all U.S. candidates, recruitment and interviewing of applicants in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area, and preparing successful candidates for departure. This position will also involve liaising with the JET Alumni Association of Washington, D.C. and assisting with other projects within the Public Affairs diplomats’ portfolio as necessary.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here –
https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/JET-PC-Job-Announcement.pdf.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

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Position: Economic Diplomatic Assistant
Posted by: Embassy of Japan
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Contract: Full-time

Here is a job received directly from the Embassy of Japan:

The Embassy of Japan is seeking a team-oriented individual for the position of Diplomatic Assistant. This individual will be primarily responsible for secretarial work: assisting and supporting a wide range of activities of diplomats in the Economic Section.

Application Process: Please see below for a detailed listing of responsibilities here – https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/job-economic-diplomatic-assistant.html. Application deadline by October 7th.